


His warmth

by altie



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Basketball, F/M, First Love, Friendship, Slice of Life, side pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-05-06 04:26:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 127,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5402927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/altie/pseuds/altie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amami Seo is the childhood friend of Takao Kazunari and follows him into joining their first year in Shutoku High. Takao manages to convince Amami to become the manager of their club which plunges her into the world of basketball and the infamous GoM members. It doesn't take her long to meet a certain red-head called Kagami Taiga, but when she does it was love on first sight.. or love on first laugh in this case. This story revolves around Amami witnessing the events of Kuroko no basuke and making her own footprints in it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello readers! This is my first time posting a story anywhere on the internet but I hope you'll enjoy reading it anyway. Constructive criticism would be much appreciated since I want to learn from this entire experience for future projects. My native language isn't English, so I hope you'll forgive me for my mistakes. I did my best and so did my husband by proofreading it.
> 
> This story, as you can see, will evolve around Kagami and the OC called Amami Seo. It will be a slow build up since I wanted to establish a good basis. The story will begin in their first year of high school and will normally end up when they're around 30 years old (give or take!). As mentioned in the description, it'll be a story that evolves around romance and friendship, but the general line is slice of life.
> 
> I've already written the first part of this story which consists of 15 chapters and once I'm done with the second part and I see that you readers enjoy it, I'll post the second part as a sequel. I plan to release 2 chapters per week on most likely Tuesdays and Fridays (don't shoot me if something comes in between!), so people who do enjoy this story will have their dose of these lovely basketball dorks twice a week.
> 
> This story will be rated K until a certain chapter, then I'll have to up it towards M for mature content and a little bit of pottymouth language (*cough* Ahomine *cough*). You are warned!
> 
> Kuroko no basuke belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki, the original characters belong to me \o/.
> 
> *dissapears into thin smoke as the curtains goes up*

Electricity was in the air as students flocked to Shutoku High from all directions. The first day of the new school year always had the students wired. The girl standing in front of its gate was no exception. A thoughtful sigh left her lips as she ran her hand through her ginger locks, green eyes staring at the impressive large building in front of her.

"Spacing out on the first day of school already, Seo-chan?" The familiar voice of her best friend chirped happily next to her as he threw his arm around her shoulders. The raven haired teen had been her childhood friend ever since he had helped her find her missing teddy bear in kindergarten. It was no surprise they ended up going to the same high school, since they'd always been in the same school ever since the teddy bear crisis.

"Good morning to you too, Kazu-chan." She calmly said as she directed her gaze towards her friend, softly tapping his hand that rested on her shoulder before brushing it off. The teen simply smiled back at her, knowing her well enough that she was nervous under that calm exterior. Even though she wouldn't show it, she was glad that he always knew how to calm her when she needed it.

"Shall we go check to see what class we're in?" He asked while pointing over the courtyard towards the big mass of people hogging the board that contained the class arrangement for this year.

"Let's go!" With a bright smile she gently nudged his shoulder with hers and started to head towards the chaos.

They ended up in different classrooms but decided that they'd spent enough time with each other during the breaks.

And thus the new school year had begun for them. Amami Seo ended up in the same classroom as a certain green-haired teen that seemingly had a small history with her childhood friend Takao Kazunari. The man, now identified as Midorima Shintarou was, like Takao, a basketball player. He even was the main reason Takao had been practicing so hard in the sport to have his revenge some day. Though that day looked further away suddenly when they ended up in the same basketball team. At first Takao felt disheartened by that fact, but Takao wasn't one to mope for too long with his happy go lucky attitude. _"If I can't have my revenge, I'll make sure he'll acknowledge my skill!"_ Was what he told himself with sure determination.

**************

"'Sup! Midorima Shintarou!" Takao called out as he saw Midorima in the school hallway and quickly introduced himself. "I'm Takao Kazunari, you're gonna join the basketball club, right? I'll be joining too. Pleased to meetcha!"

Midorima turned around to face the boy calling out to him. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his face remained its usual calm demeanor. "Why do you know my name?" He simply asked, not sure why the boy in front of him was talking to him.

"If they play basketball, there aren't many who don't know your name..... Eh? What's that?" Takao's gaze dropped to the strange object Midorima was holding up in his left hand.

"It's today's lucky item, from the Oha-Asa horoscope, nanodayo. It's tape." He explained as he showed the boy said tape.

"Gyahahaha, what's with that?!" A guffaw rang the hallway. 

"Is something wrong?" Midorima asked, already having a hunch as why the boy was laughing. It wasn't uncommon for people to find his interest in horoscopes weird.

Takao tried to compose himself but failed miserably, ignoring the question and continuing to be amused by the boy in front of him. "..And I didn't mention it before, but what's with your sentence endings? 'Nanodayo'? It's absolutely hilarious!"

Midorima kept quiet as he wasn't impressed by Takao, so much for a first impression. 'What a frivolous man...' He thought as he walked away.

Midorima was apparently a member of the Generation of Miracles, a group of basketball prodigies that had dominated in middle school as the Teiko basketball team. As they won every year's tournaments with overwhelming power they had left many opponents bitter in their wake. Takao himself had been one of them. Although Takao would never be able to match Midorima's abilities, he surely made himself a valuable member as the point guard of the current team. Not long after securing his spot as a starter, he had succeeded into luring Amami to join the club. Amami had no intention whatsoever to join a club, especially not the basketball club, but.. Takao had his ways and managed to convince her that her brains could be very useful to them. _"Also, we could spend more time together that way!"_ Both still feeling weird for not being in the same classroom for the first time, he used that as last resort to convince her. Even though she knew Takao and his hobby for so long, she never really got into the sport herself, so the reason why they had actually accepted her into the club was beyond her. She was sure Takao had bribed the coach and captain with something...

Time flew by and Amami had made her somewhat useful by taking care of the planning and management of the team so the coach could focus more on the team. She made arrangements with other school's teams to have official practice matches. Making sure to spend the funds that the school awarded the club, was spent wisely. Mainly she was the 'go-to' person whenever there was a problem with one of the players that needed something. The logistics that went on behind the scenes was her job, and she actually enjoyed it, surprising herself.

**************

"Shhhhh!! I just saw Shin-chan walking into that store." Takao interrupted one of the many rants of Amami by slapping his hand over her mouth as they walked around the mall. Amami started to make muffled noises as she tried to pry the hand away from her mouth. A small tear in her eye appeared as the pain of the slap registered.

"Was that really necessary?!" She rubbed the slightly reddened hand mark on her face but followed Takao towards the store Midorima just entered. Both the teens intrigued by the sudden appearance of the boy. 

"Hmm, I wonder if they have any nutcrackers for sale, Oha-Asa predicted a bad day for Cancers. I need to balance it with the lu--" Midorima, browsing his favorite store, stopped halfway his muttering as he heard a familiar and annoying boy's laughter nearby. He looked around and a vein popped out on his forehead as his eyes landed on the boy who had been holding his stomach in mirth. He wasn't alone however, Amami stood right next to Takao, her face planted against the window pane. 'Ah, the insufferable and inseparable duo, just my luck.' Midorima cursed inwardly, getting more convinced that he needed that nutcracker asap.

"Shiiiin-chaaan!" Takao yelled out enthusiastically as both he and Amami entered the store, waving to Midorima. 

"I can see you, nanodayo! The entire mall knows you're here for that matter, lower your voices.. and stop calling me that!" He yelled towards the two that stood in front of him now.

"You're the one yelling Midorima-kun, also is that a way to greet your friends?" Amami calmly said, acting as if Midorima was the only one making a ruckus just now.

"Yeah! What's up with that, Shin-chan? We're just so happy that we ran into you, so what are ya doin' here? Wait! Let me guess, you need your lucky item, right?" Takao smugly joined his partner in crime as if he had just solved a mystery.

"What gave it away?" Midorima rolled his eyes behind his glasses, once more not impressed with his teammate.

"My, my, you're such a tsundere Shin-chan. Tell you what, as a peace offering, both Seo-chan and I will help you find whatever you're looking for."

"Eh..?" Amami's shoulders slumped at the given task forced upon her suddenly.

"Tsk.. whatever, I need a nutcracker nanodayo." Midorima clicked his tongue and continued to search the store.

"Leave it up to me Shin-chan, I am a professional finder of what is lost, right Seo-chan?" Takao beamed proudly thinking how many times he had helped Amami find items she had lost over the years. Now it was Amami's time to roll her eyes as she started to browse the many shelves brimming with random objects for a nutcracker.

"Hai, hai, anything for our ace-sama.." She muttered quietly, her shoulders slumping deeper.

It didn't take long for Takao to find the elusive nutcracker with the use of his hawk eye vision. Midorima muttered a quiet thank you as he paid for his item so he could leave the store. They ended up walking together to the train station, well it was rather Takao and Amami stalking their teammate. Midorima, however, let it slide for once, being thankful that they had helped him out. 

The sun had begun to set as the three of them waved their goodbyes with 'See you next Monday Shin-chan!' and grunts from their ace in return.

Meanwhile the team had started to win every game they played against other schools, having Midorima as their insanely skilled shooting guard. The way he made those three pointers from any position on the court and with such an arc and accuracy made even Amami realize what a remarkable player he was. _"That's what you get for having one of the Generation of Miracles on your team."_ Is what they had told her. It simply looked ridiculously overpowered to her and for the first time she understood why Takao had felt that way about the prodigy back then. But that didn't mean the rest of the team should stand in his shadow. The Shutoku basketball team consisted of many amazing players: Otsubo, Miyaji and Kimura, all third years and Takao as a first year showed admirable strength in their own ways making Shutoku a rightful feared opponent.

Even more reason to be shocked when they were eliminated in the preliminaries for the Inter high by the still very new and unknown school called Seirin. Seirin High had opened its doors barely a year and half ago which resulted in their basketball team to only have first and second years. Not only that, they were still unknown unlike Shutoku who had been deemed one of the three kings of Tokyo. Good players from middle schools wanted to go there just for the team, just like Takao.  
Seirin, the fairly new basketball team had decent players, but two players especially had stood out. Kagami Taiga, the power forward and ace of the team and Kuroko Tetsuya, the phantom sixth member of the Generation of Miracles. Both of them were first years and their strength and expertise is what led Seirin eventually to a close victory.

**************

"I'm hungryyyy, why did I have to wait on Midorima-kun as well, Kazu-chan?" Amami whined as the three of them wandered the streets after the game. "The rest of the team already went home!"

"Because Shin-chan was busy crying and he needs us to cheer him up Seo-chan." Even though he didn't act like it, Takao was also deeply upset by their loss. Who would've known that someone like this Kuroko would appear and pull out one magic trick after the other making it very hard for Takao to keep up. 

"Stop lying Takao!" Midorima huffed, pushing his glasses up his nose. Flashbacks of the game flitted through the ace's mind. Kuroko's weird passing confused his team most of the time, but also the low presence took them by surprise over and over again. If that wasn't enough they had Kagami Taiga, at first he didn't really think much of the redhead. The way he kept jumping higher every time, blocking his shots, it had become very troublesome to the point that they had lost the game.

The three of them decided to get something to eat and ended up in the same restaurant Seirin was. Not only Seirin but his fellow Miracle member Kise Ryouta and his captain were there as well. There were no free tables but Takao and Amami had managed to convince the basketball players to shuffle around and make room for the three Shutoku students. Needless to say Midorima wasn't happy at all with how things had ended up. Not only did he lose the game today, he was now forced to eat dinner at the same table as Kise, Kuroko and Kagami. Meanwhile Amami and Takao squeezed themselves at another table together with Kise's captain Kasamatsu.

As the teenagers were eating their meal tempers flared at one specific table. It was naive to think nothing would happen at the colorful table, they argued about just anything. Meanwhile Takao had started to ramble about basketball and his position that he shared with Kasamatsu. 

It was then that Amami started to zone out, as entertaining the sport can be, she didn't share their passion, so it became hard for her to keep up with the conversation. Her eyes roamed the rest of the players landing on the redhead who sat next to Midorima. 'He eats a lot... and so messy too!' She thought as she quietly chuckled at the sight of Kagami eating. She started to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"However, I am not playing basketball to have fun." Midorima answered Kise coldly making the table silent for a few moments before Kagami broke it.

"You guys think too much. Of course we play basketball because it's fun." He said matter of factly, clearly annoying Midorima with that statement.

"What did you say? How dare you speak like you understand when you know nothing at all--" Midorima's sentence got cut short as the omelet Takao had been flipping on his cooking plate flew up in the air and landed on Midorima's head. A vein popped out on Midorima's forehead as he felt the warm food's impact. He stood up and excused himself at the table. Not having to turn around to know who the culprit was he demanded Takao to join him outside. Meanwhile Amami who witnessed the scene couldn't contain her laughter anymore and burst as she heard the two bickering outside with Takao profusely apologizing.

Kagami still startled of what just happened got distracted by the laughter he could hear to his left and looked at the girl who was on the verge of falling off her chair. Her infectious laughter made the guys around her look at her including Kagami. He chuckled warmly which made the girl look up to him. Their eyes met for the first time and even though the others were still laughing it became very quiet for both of them. The warmth of his chuckle made Amami's heart skip a beat and a blush quickly spread to her cheeks. Feeling very self-conscious all of a sudden she broke eye-contact with him, a small smile still lingering on her lips.

Midorima and Takao entered the restaurant once more, all cleaned up somehow. Midorima forced Takao to pay for his food as punishment and decided he had enough and left, making Takao and Amami scramble to follow him back outside. Before she stepped outside she made a quick glance towards the red-head who was now eating Midorima's food that got left behind. A small smile curved her lips as she closed the door behind her.

Not long after Shutoku's defeat Seirin encountered Touou and lost with a staggering 112-55. The ace of Teiko and member of the Generation of Miracles, Aomine Daiki had gone to Touou together with his childhood friend/ex-manager of the Teiko's basketball team, Momoi Satsuki. When Amami had heard Midorima talk about the Touou's ace she had trouble imagining someone as strong as Aomine. After hearing that Seirin had lost to Touou with such a difference in points she still refused to believe that this guy was that great. After all, she heard the rumors that Kagami ended up with an injury from their game with them and that his leg still hadn't fully recovered when they faced Touou. 'That must've been the reason, right? If he wasn't injured, he would've done a lot better.' Amami thought to herself. Was it fear of having to face someone as Aomine with her team or having to accept that Kagami simply lost because he wasn't strong enough, she couldn't tell.


	2. Chapter 2

"-mi-san? Amami-san!" Amami jumped at the voice behind her.

"S-Sorry coach, I didn't hear you.." She looked up from her paperwork and turned to the man in question. "Can I help you?"

"Here's the phone number of the company we used last year to rent a bus.." Pushing a piece of paper with scribbles on it towards Amami. "I'd like you to arrange our transport with them."

Amami took the piece of paper and motioned at the rest of her paperwork. "I've made arrangements for everything except for transport, so perfect timing coach! I just need your approval so I can start calling around" She proudly beamed as she showed the man her hard work. Schedules, arrangements and planning were neatly jotted down and placed in a folder with the title 'Summer training camp'.

The coach started to read, smiling softly when he gave the folder back. "Great work, Amami-san, you have my thanks. It all looks good to me, so start making the calls, if you please."

"Roger that!" Amami saluted with a blinding grin making the coach softly chuckle. The man turned around to go back to the players who were practicing but stopped to look back with an evil smirk towards Amami.

"Ah yes, we'll count on you for laundry duty during camp." He almost power-walked away from Amami before he could receive the very brunt of her answer.

"T-That wasn't part of the plan! We made a deal! C-Coach?!" She slumped down on the bleachers, defeated.

A few of the players tried to stifle their laughter, not having seen this side of the coach yet.

**************

A bus filled to the brim with basketball players stopped in front of the lodge they were about to keep their training camp at. It was right at the beach and had an indoor basketball court nearby. It had become a tradition to use this very place for their annual summer training camp.

"Finally, we've arrived! If I had to listen to Shin-chan's snorin' for another ten minutes I woulda gone crazy!" Takao jumped out of the bus, stretching his limbs dramatically.

"Stop lying, Takao!" Midorima, who was right behind Takao, slapped the accusing boy up the head.

The boys all stood outside, grabbing their belongings out of the suitcase-compartment while their coach was thanking the bus driver. The bus driver seemed even more relieved to have reached their destination, grabbing a smoke while giving the boys stink eye. It had been quite the rowdy trip for them all.

"Kazu-chan, grab my suitcase while I go inside please!" Amami immediately bolted towards the building in front of her. Entering the place she found the owner of the lodge and greeted him with a bright smile. 

"Good day Owner-san! Shutoku High has arrived!" She exclaimed energetically.

"As I can see, welcome! I'll show you your rooms, have a wonderful stay!" The owner, immediately taken by Amami's charm, motioned for her to follow him, guiding her throughout the facility.

"... and this is the laundry room, here you can wash your clothes if you have any need of it." The owner finally ended the tour, having explained everything to Amami and now making his leave.

"Thank you very much Owner-san!" She waved back before sharply glaring at the laundry room. "..Honestly, why did I agree to do their laundry--"

"Because you are the manager and love us!" Takao interrupted her as he was dragging both their suitcases behind him.

"Stop lying, Takao!" Amami simply mimicked Midorima and slapped him up the head as well. Midorima passed by the two with a small, secret smile, making his way towards the room where they'll be sleeping.

It had taken the team a small hour to unpack everything and get ready for their first training session. While the boys started to train in the gym Amami and Kimura made their way towards the nearby store to do grocery shopping. Not wanting to send Amami all by herself for this job they had decided to alternate between the players to accompany her and help her carry the bags. After all feeding an entire team of starved players needed a massive amount of food. Once the groceries had been stored into their appointed fridge Kimura would make his way back towards the gym to join the rest. Amami had been appointed to be in charge of cooking for the boys since none of them would have the time nor energy to do so. It wasn't that she couldn't cook or anything, but she found herself wondering why she ended up cooking for her basketball team during summer vacation while she could have been at home doing things girls her age normally would do. She simply shrugged at the thought and made her way towards her room.

**************

Dressed in a green with white dots bikini, a white loose shirt and flip flops she started to make way towards the beach. Armed with a towel, sunglasses, sunscreen and a book she quickly passed by the gym, waving towards Takao in the open doorway with an evil smirk.

"Work hard, guys!!" She successfully dodged a flying basketball thrown by Miyaji before making herself scarce.

Having found a nice spot on the beach with a stealthily 'commandeered' parasol from the beach bar, she had installed herself on her towel. The rest of the afternoon was spent reading her book alternated by sunbathing. 

"Ah yes, that's why.." She hummed contently as she remembered her thoughts from earlier. "Free vacation, beach, sun and..." Her smile grew in anticipation as she remembered the main reason she was really here. Thoughts of a certain school joining them soon flitted by, a certain red-head coming to mind. She remembered calling Aida Riko, the coach of Seirin's basketball team to arrange for a practice match a while ago. As they both were trying to find a proper date Amami soon learned that Seirin also planned to have a summer training camp. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth she immediately jumped on it and had advised their coach to join them, enabling multiple practice matches together. She had asked her coach, just to be sure, if it was alright. Not seeing any harm in it he gave her the green light. Did that mean she had to inform the rest of the team of said arrangement? ..Where was the fun in that? When she noticed the afternoon sun getting lower she decided to head to the kitchen and prepare dinner.

**************

"Thank you for the meal!" Echoed in the cafeteria before the team dug in the food.

"Yeah yeah.." Amami sighed, hiding her smile and faint blush she was sure had surfaced on her cheeks.

"Hmm, this is really good Amami-chan, I'm glad we've got you on board." Otsubo who sat next to Amami patted her shoulder on a job well done. 

Dinner had gone by surprisingly calm in Amami's eyes. Even though she knew practice would be hard, she thought they'd still be energetic enough after the first day.

"You guys look like a bunch of old geezers.." She stood up and started to do the dishes after the boys placed theirs in the sink.

Finally being done with the dishes she walked towards her room only to be halted by their coach midway. He was holding a big bag behind him and was sporting that same evil smirk once more. Amami caught on pretty quickly, eyeing the bag.

"There really is no way out of this, uh?" She whined, giving the coach one final attempt by pleading.

"Work hard, Amami-san!" He placed the bag in front of her and simply smiled as he left her alone with it, returning to his room.

"Did he just sass me?" Grabbing the bag in defeat she made her way to the laundry room. She opened the bag and was greeted by the smell of the sweaty clothes from it. "Urgh.. I haaate this!" Barely breathing to keep the stench at bay, she hastily rammed the clothes into the washing machine. After adding the soap and fabric softener she punched a button that brought the machine to life. She decided to rest in her room while the machine was doing its duty. When she exited the laundry room her nose was greeted by a warm and soft surface.

"Ouch!" She rubbed her nose before looking up sheepishly. "I'm sorry." She immediately apologized to the person in front of her, bowing her head. When she was met by silence she raised her head to check if the person simply had run off, her eyes landing on a boy who seemed familiar. After blinking her eyes once she realized it was one of the players from Seirin.

"Aaah! Erh.. Mitobe-san, was it? I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention." She scratched the back of her head, feeling a bit awkward. Mitobe sensed that and raised both his hands, motioning there was no harm done. A warm smile made its way on his lips as he bowed his own apology before making his way to his own room. 'What a strange guy...' She thought to herself when she finally entered her room. 

As the evening went by, she had taken care of the laundry, handing the now clean clothes to her team in a basket. Having made sure all preparations were done for breakfast she decided to turn in early since her team clearly wasn't in the mood to stay up and entertain her.

The next morning she was already in the kitchen making quick work of the food she had prepared the day before. As she was setting the tables she could hear a ruckus in the hallway, not far away from where she was. 'Already so lively?' She mused as she went to check it out.

"What's with the tan?" Midorima accused the redhead while pointing his finger at him.

"We're not on vacation!" Kagami replied heatedly, causing further disturbance in the hallway.

"Good morning everyone!" Amami walked up to the four boys with a knowing smile. Takao's eyes widened as he saw his best friend walking in smugly.

"You knew?!" Now it was his time to point fingers as he accused Amami.

"It's impolite to point fingers, Kazu-chan.. and of course I knew, as a matter of fact, Riko-san and our own coach knew too." This caused the four boys to look at Amami, a mixture of surprise and dread across the two aces' faces. Takao already recovered from the shock, started to grin devilishly and Kuroko, who resembled a Super Saiyan with his ridiculous bed hair had a simple blank stare.

With perfect timing Riko walked in on the boys, carrying a knife around, to check out what the early fuss was all about. 'Wait, is that blood?' All of them thought at the scary looking scene. The two girls both went back to the kitchen for breakfast.

**************

When all the boys from both teams had gathered, both coaches had started to explain them why they were all there and that it was indeed all planned to have them have practice matches every day. They had worked out a schedule that would fit both schools beforehand, resulting the gym to be at the disposal of Shutoku's in the mornings, joint practice matches after lunch and Seirin's for the rest of the evening. Giving them all the opportunity to practice both in the gym and out on the beach.

"Somehow I feel cheated on.." Takao pouted as he brought his arm around Amami's shoulders. "We're best friends but you didn't tell me, I could've made this more memorable for Shin-chan if I knew."

"You'll get over it." Amami simply replied as she swatted her best friend's hand off of her shoulder. She turned around noticing the female coach talking to Kagami. 

"Kagami hold on. Go buy drinks for everyone. Run on the beach to the convenience store five hundred meters away! They'll probably be heavy, so you can bring them one at a time! Gooo!" She chirped happily.

"One a time?" Kagami questioned her way of thinking.

"Everyone's practicing, so hurry!" Riko simply replied, not giving Kagami the chance to question her plans.

"Hey! How many laps are that?!" He squints his eyes shut, most likely doing the math before dashing out of the gym.

Having just heard the conversation between Kagami and Riko, Amami couldn't help but feel deflated by this development. She had been looking forward to watch the red-head practice and now he was being sent on this weird errand. Her shoulders slumped while a small pout made its appearance.

"Oooh, that's an interesting face you're making, Seo-chan. Could it be.." Takao hugged Amami from behind, resting his face on her shoulder. His lips close enough to her ear he continued to whisper: "..that you like our enemy's ace?" A knowing smirk gracing his features.

Before Amami could retaliate with her elbow, a loud "Someone get me a pineapple!" came from their senpai, Miyaji, followed with a: "Takao, get your ass in here!"

The two teams, with the exception of Kagami, had started their game. Amami recovering from the embarrassment decided to flee the scene and head towards her room.

"Hope he pukes five times throughout practice.." She muttered to herself as she dropped her head on her pillow. She decided to take a small nap to kill time, making sure the alarm on her phone was set so she wouldn't be late to prepare the bastards' food.

*BEEP BEEP*

Amami woke up to the sound of her alarm, blindly grabbing around to catch the device in order to shut it up. Once succeeding she rubbed her eyes blearily while slowly getting out of her bed. The sun was setting, high time to start on dinner. After quickly washing up she made her way towards the kitchen albeit still a bit wobbly due to the fog of sleep still on her mind.

When she entered the kitchen she noticed Riko was preparing dinner for her own teammates. "Good evening Riko-san." She smiled towards the female coach, making way to the fridge to gather the ingredients she needed.

"'Evening.." Riko managed to utter as she was grinding her teeth. Even though she had received some cooking lessons from her teammates before coming here, she still seemed to be having problems.

Amami, curious to what the other girl was making inched closer, her eyes widening as she saw the big cooking pot filled with some weird gooey black stuff bubbling. The pot made a disgusting sounding pop, making Riko perch up.

"Done!" She turned off the stove and started to stir the concoction that was now emitting black fumes. The stench filling Amami's nostrils who had been frozen on the spot.

"Err.. Riko-san.. I don't think.. t-that looks.... 'done'." She grimaced but tried to avoid hurting the other's feelings. 

Riko stood still, feeling defeated as she had to agree that the food didn't look edible, slumping her shoulders she let out a huff. Amami felt bad for the girl, she seemed to have spent quite the time on it.

"Tell you what, since we've bought too much ingredients for today, why don't we cook something together for all of them?" Amami sweetly asked Riko, trying to cheer her up.

Riko turned towards Amami with a small smile, determination set in her eyes. "Alright, let's feed these runts!"

That made them both giggle and in better spirits. Tossing the putrid goo out before both started on a proper meal. Amami guided her along the way, making sure no weird ingredients made their way in the dish. An hour later they both beamed proudly as they slammed the cooking pots on the tables in the cafeteria.

"Food's ready guys, dig in!" Both teams started to fill their plates, eating the food gratefully. For a room full of teenage boys, it had a peaceful atmosphere, the players too exhausted to kick up a fuss. Amami glanced down the different tables, her eyes fell on Hyuga and Kiyoshi who had been complimenting a flustered Riko on the food well made. 

'He's not here..' She thought as she couldn't find the red-head, a bit deflated. Since when did this guy wander through her thoughts, she wondered. 

After both girls finished doing the dishes they both went to their own room. When Amami closed the door behind her she cursed to herself as she remembered she had forgotten her phone in the kitchen. When she made her way back towards her room after collecting her phone, she stumbled upon a half naked, heaving Kagami who was holding a plastic bag filled with all sorts of soda cans. The sight in front of her made her stagger, loosening the grip on her phone. When the phone touched the ground with a thud it received the attention of both Kagami and Riko who apparently were talking.

"S-Sorry.." She went to pick up the phone and tried to make her escape as she now was a hundred percent sure that her face must be looking like a tomato. 'Smooth Seo.. very smooth..' She silently cursed as she passed by the two, trying her very best not to let her gaze wander to the sweaty bare chest of Kagami.

'Eeeeh? Interesting..' Riko thought to herself as she noticed the usually collected girl lose her marbles.

"Amami-kun? Hold on a moment please." A overly sweet smile made an appearance on the girls' face. "Bakagami hasn't eaten yet and I'm busy, could you please give him dinner after he washed up?"

"Aah, I can't, I need to do the laundry of my team, perhaps someone else can?" Amami tried to save herself by using her old enemy, hoping Riko would drop it.

"Oh, what a coincidence, I was just going to do laundry too.. perhaps I can do yours too, then you're free, no?" Riko winked at Amami as she shoved Kagami towards the bathroom. "Come on Bakagami, don't make her wait too long for you to finish washing up."

Amami went back towards the kitchen, having a minor panic attack. 'Though I don't have to do laundry today, which is nice.' She comforted herself with the thought. Grabbing enough food from the leftovers she started to warm it up once more. 'Calm down Seo..' She breathed in deeply calming her nerves. After ten minutes Kagami walked into the kitchen, his stomach rumbling at the smell of the food.

"Uwaah, that smells good, did Coach make this?!" He looked at the cooking pot surprised.

"Ah well, we both made it together, I'm pretty sure the food she had made by herself before is now crawling around outside." She shuddered as she thought back, earning herself a warm chuckle from the tall guy who was grabbing his plate and utensils. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard that familiar chuckle once more. 'Stop.. doing that..' She told herself as she grabbed his plate to fill it up with food. She managed to tower a huge amount of food on one plate and placed it in front of him.

"Enjoy!" She simply smiled as she sat down on the chair opposite of Kagami.

Kagami couldn't help but smile at the amount of good smelling food in front of him. "Thank you for the meal!" He started to inhale the food, making quick work of his plate. The exhaustion of today's practice finally hitting him, he excused himself from the table.

'Oh well..' She thought as she watched him walk out of the kitchen. She quickly made work of the dishes before calling it a day herself.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning was calm until Seirin's practice began on the beach. During one of the few breaks Riko walked up towards Kagami who was drinking from his water bottle.

"How was your romantic dinner with Amami-kun last night?" Wiggling her eyebrows as she teased the boy next to her.

As soon as he heard the question, Kagami spurted the water out. "W-Wha--?" His brain now going in overdrive.

"Kagami-kun, don't spurt your water on me please, it's disgusting." Kuroko told him with a blank stare before drying his face with his towel.

"W-Where'd you come from?!" Kagami grew more agitated by the second as he looked towards his coach and teammate.

"Also, I'd like to know more of this romantic dinner now." Kuroko didn't bother to answer his teammate's question and went straight to what did interest him in the first place.

"It wasn't romantic.. you guys!" Kagami rubbed his face in pure annoyance as the conversation was escalating.

"Bakagami! Are you telling me I've been doing Shutoku's laundry for naught? You truly are a Bakagami!" Riko yelled loudly, earning them the attention of the rest of the team.

His entire team, now updated on previous events, were now ganging up on him. Each of them tried to give him advice or just mock him for being a basketball obsessed idiot. Riko finally showed him 'mercy' by forcing Seirin to continue the practice.

**************

"Those guys..." Kagami went inside to wash up before lunch, remembering the conversation from before. 'Should it have been romantic? Surely she doesn't think something like that about me, right? Right?! She sure is a nice girl however.. making me that much food. ..Shit! I haven't really thanked her.. ' He thought remorsefully.

"Is something wrong Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asked, appearing out of nowhere, after noticing the many expressions Kagami was showing.

"Y-You, will you stop scaring me already?!" Kagami bristled before storming off.

Kuroko stood there, watching Kagami disappear from sight, a small secret smile curving on his lips.

When both teams walked into the cafeteria they all started to enjoy the food that had been made. Some of them even started to talk to the other team's players, discussing on how their practice match would go. Both teams becoming accustomed to the harsh training during camp, found the energy to become a bit more rowdy like one would expect from two dozen teenagers. Except for one. Kagami was quiet, no doubt his brain still trying to figure things out. He waited until he noticed Amami going towards the kitchen, quickly following her.

"F-Food was great.. thanks for helping our coach with it." Kagami awkwardly rambled when he found Amami alone in the kitchen.

"Ack, you scared me Kagami-san!” She almost dropped a stack of plates when his sudden voice boomed through the silent kitchen. “Your coach and I have made a deal, she helps me with my team's laundry, I help her with Seirin's food. But I'm glad you enjoy our food, you guys sure need it to survive this week." Amami smiled warmly after she calmed down from the initial scare. Her cheeks started to become a little pink as they were talking.

"You can drop the -san, that's my old man. I erh.. actually came here to apologize for yesterday. I was so tired that I didn't really thank you for last night's dinner. I also could've been better company instead of just eating and leaving, especially since you stayed." Kagami rubbed the back of his head as he felt awkward to be in this situation.

"Alright, Kagami-kun it is then. You guys are being pushed to the edge this week, so I understand that. Takao hasn't been really talkative himself either and that says a lot really. No need to apologize." She sweetly smiled, appreciating this side of Kagami.

"Seooo-chaaaan~! Are you going to watch us play against Seirin today? Shin-chan was so upset when you didn't stay yesterday." Takao walked in the kitchen, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"TAKAO!" Midorima shouted from the doorway, having heard the blatant lies from his teammate. "Amami is free to do whatever she wants in her spare time, nanodayo." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, glaring at Takao.

"You guys sure are loud.." Kagami, who was still standing there, interrupted the interesting duo. 

"I don't want to hear that from you!" Midorima huffed out before making his way towards the gym, demanding Takao to follow him before their senpais would get angry for being late.

Amami and Kagami both chuckled as they watched the Shutoku players walk away.

"I should.." "I better.." They both started, looking at each other with a grin.

"Yeah, I'll see you later!" Kagami waved as he started to jog out of the kitchen, leaving Amami to her work.

Amami ended up preferring going to the beach over watching the practice game when she was done with her work. Clad in her bikini and white shirt she decided to continue reading her book in peace. Having placed herself strategically so she could secretly admire Kagami's form when he was doing his daily laps on the beach.

The rest of the week went by in a similar way, Shutoku won all the practice games against Seirin. Fully aware that they only won because the female coach had ordered Kagami to work on his personal training instead. In the end Midorima gave Kagami and Kuroko some advice on how to overcome nearing obstacles. He would never admit that of course, but he was grateful towards the duo for making him realize his past mistakes. Now focused on his future with Shutoku he had started to become more of a team player. Their aim set on the Winter Cup, they're going to need all the training in order to defeat the strong opponents awaiting them.

**************

The Inter high had ended with Rakuzan in first place. Rakuzan had scouted Akashi, the captain of Teiko and Generation of Miracles. In second place came Touou with Aomine, and third place went to Yosen who had Murasakibara, another member of the Generation of Miracles and former member of Teiko. Time flew by when school had begun once more. Amami focused on studying again while making sure everything went smoothly for her team. Both Amami and Midorima being very smart, ended up being first and third respectively of their year on the proficiency test. It was a nice way to test their studies for the upcoming finals in the winter.

Mid-fall the preliminaries for the Winter Cup had begun, having a group phase. Only the two best of the group would continue to the Winter Cup itself. Shutoku and Seirin ended up in the same group together with Senshinkan and Kirisaki Daiichi.

Shutoku's first game was against Kirisaki Daiichi, the latter having one of the Uncrowned Kings. The Uncrowned Kings had been a group of basketball players who had gained the reputation due to their talent. If it weren't for the former Teiko members, the title of Miracles could've gone to these five. Kiyoshi Teppei, the Iron Heart, had joined Seirin while Hanamiya, Bad boy, Makoto went to Kirisaki Daiichi.

When the game started there was no sight of the Uncrowned King, even worse, none of the first string players were in the line up. The first string had decided to watch Seirin play their game against Senshinkan instead, purposely throwing away a chance of winning against Shutoku by letting their second string play. Convinced they'll win the other two matches they had planned to analyze Seirin's game, giving them a better insight on their plays. It was needless to say that Shutoku found this 'strategy' appalling. They ended up crushing their opponent with 123-51 while Seirin won the game against Senshinkan with 78-61. Both games had taken place at the same time right next to each other.

"Let's go Takao." Midorima demanded as he walked towards the locker room. "They did not everything they could. What a revolting game." He frowned as he noticed the first string of Kirisaki Daiichi leave the audience.

Shutoku made their way towards the locker room together, passing by Seirin who were still grabbing their belongings. Heated stares from both teams raising the tension in the air. The next games would be Seirin - Shutoku and Kirisaki Daiichi - Senshinkan.

**************

"Now that I think of it, it was raining last time, too." Takao stood in the doorway of their locker room facing a very tense Midorima. "It's time, let's go."

"Okay" Midorima calmly said, contradicting the ace's aura.

When they reached the court they could hear the crowd coming to life, being very eager to watch the upcoming games between the four teams.

"What's wrong Shin-chan? You don't happen to be sca--" Takao had begun, wanting to ease up the tension of his green-haired teammate but got interrupted.

"Don't talk to me. I'm on edge. I don't have time for your jokes." Midorima stoically told Takao, his aura becoming more menacing by the second.

Amami who was organizing her teams belongings behind their bench found herself freezing up as she heard the cold response. 'He seems like a starved beast, hungry for victory after last defeat against Seirin..'

"Yeah, me too." Takao responded to Midorima, having read what was on his partner's mind.

Even though Seirin already managed to defeat Shutoku before, they didn't seem like they were taking things easy either. Amami went to sit next to her coach as both teams entered the court. She noticed Takao talking to Kuroko while Midorima and Kagami were staring each other down. 

Amami had accepted her developing crush a long while ago, but her pride of her own team still wanted for them to win. She had seen her team practice almost every day, pushing themselves to the limit every single time. They had earned it to get revenge on Seirin, but she couldn't help herself noticing that Seirin seemed to be much stronger than previous time.

The game ended up being a battle between Midorima's three-pointers and Kagami's power-jumps. Both not relenting to each other, having worked on their stamina. Midorima started to mix in fakes, tiring Kagami effectively by making him pull off one power-jump after the other. _"Of course. It's for victory. I'll say it again and again. I will draw them to me and pass."_ Midorima had told his team in the locker room, earning himself a very surprised team due to the nature of their prideful ace. So when Midorima lured Kagami and Kiyoshi to block him he surprised the other team when he passed the ball to Takao. Shutoku's senpais immediately took action and successfully scored. Seirin benched Kuroko to recover his loss of effectiveness in the game, substituting him for Mitobe. 

Kiyoshi and Kagami ran towards Midorima to defend. Once more Midorima passed towards Takao who ran ahead gleefully. 

"Yes, here we go.." Just as Izuki moved in on him to defend, Takao smiled. "..just kidding." Before passing the ball between his legs while jumping over it, successfully passing the ball to Midorima behind him who was now free for a three-pointer. "Don't miss." He joked as his ace caught the ball with mild surprise.

"Quiet, fool." He retorted while taking aim and made his shot.

"YES! Nice pass Kazu-chan!" Amami jumped up while cheering for her best friend.

The crowd cheered along with her at the amazing play the duo had made.

'Did he just.. smile?' Amami thought she was seeing things when she noticed a very small smile on Midorima's lips.

Taking advantage of the still shocked Seirin, Miyaji took it upon him to make a fast-break. He passed to Kimura who finished it off with a lay-up earning him a pissed off Miyaji for not making it more spectacular.

The clock indicated the third quarter was almost over when Midorima received a pass. He positioned himself to make a three-pointer making Kagami swoop in to defend. His legs refused to move when he aimed to jump and block the ball resulting Midorima making the shot. Shutoku's bench cheered when their ace had won the battle of stamina. A pang of concern went through Amami's mind, but she was too excited for her team to pay it much attention.

A minute before the end of the third quarter Kuroko got substituted back in, putting Mitobe back on the bench. Even though his misdirection lost its effectiveness on Shutoku and Takao was marking Kuroko once more, the bench of Seirin seemed confident. 

Amami felt uneasy ever since Kuroko had come back, the pace of the game had slowed down even though Seirin was behind. 'Are they up to something?' She thought as she watched the game continue. It was then that Kuroko ran up to Midorima as he received the ball from Kiyoshi. 'Is he going one on one with Midorima?!' She didn't know the game well enough but even she could see the folly of this move. 

"Watch out Midorima!" Miyaji yelled out to him. 

"Sorry, but that's not gonna help. This is not about speed or skill. Only Kuroko can pull this drive off.." Kagami told Takao as he was blocking him from assisting Midorima. 

At that moment Kuroko did his newly developed skill called Vanishing Drive. Using that he easily passed Midorima, who had been guarding him, and made a pass to Kiyoshi letting him dunk the ball into the ring. Having startled the team somewhat with this new drive they had managed to earn a whopping eight points in the last minute before the end of the third quarter.

During the break Amami gave everyone their towel and water bottle while they all discussed the game. Midorima told the team that they were wrong when they thought Kagami was at his limit. "He's not that weak." He calmly stated.

The fourth quarter begun with a tie, both teams taking their positions. Kagami prepared his legs several times and brushed his hair backwards, staring with a fierce look of determination towards Midorima. Amami's mouth became very dry at this sight. Kagami couldn't be called a pretty boy, he looked wild and it was exactly that, that made him look very attractive to Amami.

Seirin started their usual run and gun style and had Kagami making a dunk that managed to break through both Otsubo and Kimura's defense. His strength shocking Shutoku, putting them even further on edge. Kuroko managed to pull off his misdirection and ridiculous passes once more as well. Not giving up, Midorima received the ball and made a three-pointer when both Kagami and Kiyoshi were too late to block it. 

"Amazing Shin-chan. Are you okay? You must be approachin' yer limit." Takao said to Midorima as they went back for defense.

"Fool. There's no way I wouldn't know the exact number of shots I can take. I surpassed my limit long ago." Midorima retorted a bitter smile curving his lips.

Takao chuckled at his statement. "What are you talking about? What a man."

As the game progressed the crowd became wilder, as neither team was giving up. When one team made a shot the other responded with a counter attack, no one giving any ground. Kuroko ended up receiving the ball making Takao run up to him to guard him but failed as the phantom used his Vanishing Drive to pass him. Kuroko passed towards Kiyoshi who starts to make a dunk, the timer close towards the end of the fourth quarter. Midorima jumped behind Kiyoshi in order to block the dunk successfully, however....

"Defensive foul, pushing! Shutoku number six! Free throws, two shots!" The referee yelled after he had whistled.

Amami looked at the scoreboard, 103-104 for Shutoku with only a few seconds left. Amami felt her heart drop but refused to give up hope already.

"Don't worry about it, Midorima." "You made the right call there. Otherwise he would've made it for sure." Both Kimura and Miyaji patted Midorima's shoulder on a job well done.

"We're still hanging by a thread. All we can do now is pray." Kimura said towards the team.

"You idiot, that's not all we can do." Miyaji replied heatedly.

"If he makes these shots, we have to accept it's over. Even if he misses, if we don't get the rebound.." Takao thoughtfully said.

"There's no way he isn't feeling the pressure now. Before you start praying, give it your all! We need to get that rebound!" Otsubo, the captain, spoke to his team.

"Yeah!" His team answered.

When Kiyoshi threw the first shot, the ball had went in. Chances of winning becoming smaller for Shutoku. This was it, the moment of truth, both teams ready to pick up the ball in case Kiyoshi would miss. 

'Miss, miss, miss.' A tantrum no doubt was going on in Shutoku's mind as Kiyoshi prepared to make his second free throw. The game was now tied. With exhaustion and Kiyoshi's bad knee taxing him he finally threw the fateful shot. It seemed as if time had slowed down when the ball made its way towards the ring, hitting the edge of it. He missed, making time go back to normal, with both teams vying for the ball.

"REBOUND!!" Both benches yelled out.

"Get it Otsubo!" Shutoku's coach demanded.

Miyaji, Otsubo, Hyuga and Kagami all jumped to grab the ball. The Shutoku players seemed to be closer to the ball due to their original position but eventually Kagami made his way through them with his super-jump and took hold of the ball. When he landed on the ground he immediately went for a jump to dunk the ball back but Midorima followed him immediately blocking the ball. Both aces yelled out as they used all the power that was left in them to secure their own victory. At that same moment the buzzer rang, indicating that the game was over. The ball flew across the court, the only sound that could be heard in the stadium at that moment. All the players froze in place as they started to realize it had become a tie. Normally the game would go in overtime, but since they wanted the games to be short they had made the rule to have no overtimes at this stage in the tournament.

"Kagami. Surely you're not satisfied with this." Midorima approached Kagami and his team with his own in tow.

"Of course not. We'll settle things later." Kagami smiled with determination.

"There will be no ties in the Winter Cup. Let's settle things then." Takao told Kuroko.

"I couldn't ask for more." The phantom smiled.

The crowd applauded for both teams who lined up at the end.

"With 104-104, it's a tie! Bow!" The referee called out.

"Thank you very much!" Both teams bowed to the other team.

They made their way towards their locker room with a new found respect for the other team. Meanwhile on the other court the game between Kirisaki Daiichi and Senshinkan had also ended. But unlike the other game it didn't end up with respect.

Kirisaki Daiichi had used their own strategy while playing against Senshinkan which happened to be full of foul play. This of course had aggravated the other team when they lost with 108-71.

When Amami and Takao were ready to leave, they both walked out the building to meet up with Midorima. Midorima was talking with Kise and Momoi, who was carrying a puppy.

"Talk to you later, Kazu-chan." Amami took her keys out of her pocket before walking up to her moped. The moped was parked right next to Midorima's rickshaw that was now surrounded by the colorful bunch. "I'll see you tomorrow, Midorima-kun!" She waved as she hopped on the moped.

"Drive carefully Amami." He said knowing her driving abilities.

She started the engine, letting out a screech with it and before you know it she was already dangerously swaying her way home.

Both Momoi and Kise watched the girl take off with eyes wide open. "Is she going to be okay?" "She should not be driving a vehicle." Both respectively said.

"She'll be fiiiine!" Takao grinned as he hopped on the rickshaw. "Come on Shin-chan, let's go home too."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Today I'll be posting two chapters, the reason for this is because this chapter will mainly evolve around the Winter Cup games with not a lot of dialogue. So I thought throwing in another chapter would be more appreciated, you could also see it as an early Christmas gift! Without further ado: two chapters! I hope you enjoy reading, feel free to give constructive criticism. <3

Shutoku's next game was against Senshinkan while Seirin had to play against Kirisaki Daiichi. Just like the previous time both games were held at the same time right next to each other in the stadium. Shutoku won with 112-81 not long after Seirin had won theirs with 76-70. In less than a month the Winter Cup would finally start. Each team with a Miracle member and the phantom sixth member had made it. 

When the Winter Cup finally started Shutoku decided to spectate as many strong teams as they could. One of those first games had been Touou - Seirin. This was Amami's first time seeing Aomine and his team play. She remembered Seirin being obliterated by them during the preliminaries for the Inter High. As she was sitting in between her coach and Takao she had felt nervous. Takao had picked up on the inner turmoil that was going through his best friend and had tried to calm her down. This time, however, it didn't help. The only thing that gave Amami hope was the knowledge that Seirin had grown a lot in the past few months.

The game had been pretty close the entire time through, Seirin was holding on and Touou seemed to have been struggling throughout to keep it up themselves. It was then that the ace, Aomine Daiki, took the game to a whole other level by going into the zone. Amami listened intently as Midorima was trying to explain to his team what exactly this 'zone' was. What she saw was unbelievable, this guy moved so fast she had a hard time keeping up with him. Kagami had been doing his best so far to keep Aomine in check, but ever since the blue-haired boy went into the zone it had become too much for him. Amami felt despair as she witnessed this onslaught until Kagami finally managed to stop Aomine. She cheered perhaps a bit too loud when her favorite red-read had put an end to Aomine's onslaught by going into the zone himself. Ever since that moment the game had been reduced to a one-on-one showdown since the rest of their teams couldn't keep up with the speed of their aces. The battle was fierce but eventually ended with the strong combination of Kuroko and Kagami making the last shot successfully. Seirin had won against the very team that had knocked them out of the previous tournament with 101-100. Amami had jumped while throwing her fist into the air, overcome with relief and joy.

**************

The Winter Cup had progressed further with more teams being knocked out. It came down to the last four teams: Kaijo, Shutoku, Seirin and Rakuzan. The semi-finals got kicked off with Shutoku-Rakuzan. In the past it had become clear to Amami that Midorima and Akashi had been close friends. Akashi was the captain of the Teiko club while Midorima had been made the vice-captain. Both boys actually had gotten along fine outside the court since they shared the same interest in Shogi. Akashi was born from a rich family that had its own business while Midorima came from a reasonably wealthy family himself. So it was only natural for both of them to become friends in their middle school years. Midorima had explained Takao and Amami that Akashi had changed during their second year in middle school which had made their friendship somewhat complicated.

Amami knew of the Akashi family, since she came from a well known and well-off family herself. Her father and uncle shared a business and had made a name for themselves. Amami had only seen Akashi when they were kids and even then she couldn't remember much of it except for the fact that he'd been calm and sophisticated. A personality that should only fit adults in her eyes. Needless to say her own family had told her that she should be careful around the boy, the Akashis were one of the most influential families, knowing her personality and her friendship with Takao being 'a bad influence' on her. So when she came to know that the same boy was now in Rakuzan and apparently had known her classmate she was surprised.

Sitting on the bench of Shutoku, next to her coach as usual, she'd been cheering for her team when the game had begun. It was to be expected when two members of the Generation of Miracles clash that the game would be close. Shutoku had been working well against Rakuzan, but it had become clear that it would be no mean feat to defeat them. Not only did they have Akashi, they also had the other three Uncrowned Kings: Mibuchi, Hayama and Nebuya. What made Amami feel uneasy was the fact that Akashi had been made captain of Rakuzan. It wasn't common at all for a first year to gain said title but somehow his team didn't seem to mind at all and had all faith in their captain. 

The buzzer indicated the end of the second quarter when the points were tied with 39-39, Shutoku went towards their bench where Amami was ready to hand out towels and water. They walked towards their locker room while Amami lingered behind, making sure not to leave important stuff behind. It was then that she saw Seirin and Kaijo walk up to the court to have their warm up. When Kuroko, Kagami and Akashi met, they started to talk. Amami was too far to hear what was being said but before she knew it, Kagami was sitting on the ground with eyes wide open. Akashi's hand on Kagami's shoulder. 'What the hell did he just do?' Amami questioned as she witnessed what happened. She gritted her teeth but decided to make her way towards the locker room as well when she noticed Akashi doing the same.

Shutoku managed to keep the game tied, but when they were sitting in the locker room she noticed Midorima's unease. The rest of his team were patting themselves on the back since they are actually doing well against Rakuzan, the winner of the Inter High and so called strongest team out there. Midorima knew better, Akashi still had to step up, so far he only assisted his team letting them score. Amami simply assumed that that was how he played. 

When the third quarter began it was Akashi suddenly marking Midorima, something Midorima had predicted to happen. "Come at me, Shintarou." Akashi challenged Midorima with calculating eyes.

Midorima, who had the ball currently, moved to make one of his three-pointers but before he could release the ball Akashi had slapped it out of his hands and made a dash for it. Takao, quick to act, ran up to him to defend. "You won't get by!" He exclaimed heatedly, blocking Akashi's way.

"Get by? No need for that." He dribbled the ball quickly between his legs, the quick movements making Takao stumble backwards to the ground. "I don't allow anyone acting against me to look down on me. Lower your head." Standing still he simply threw the ball towards the net with ease, scoring.

"KAZU!" She yelled out as she jumped up from the bench, anger rolling off of her as she heard what the red-head just told her best friend.

"Amami-san, sit back down." The coach warned her, conflict in his eyes. Distraction was the last thing his team needed right now.

Amami clenched her fists, biting back her anger as she sat back down on the bench.

The game continued to become more dire for Shutoku as Akashi kept his tight grip on them, making one point after the other. Akashi had great awareness of his surrounding and the use of his 'eye' had become very troublesome now. They said his 'eye' could read into the near future, simply by analyzing small movements quickly.

Akashi broke through a two-man defense using his ankle breaker. "My orders are absolute." He calmly dribbled between both Miyaji and Kimura who were now on the ground.

'This is not the Akashi I've seen when we were children, he has changed.' Amami remembered Midorima telling them of said change. "Arrogant.." She whispered bitterly, her knuckles becoming white as she squeezed the bench.

Akashi began to make one ridiculous move after the other, either making the shots himself with the use of his ankle breaker and his 'eye' or passing the ball towards his teammates in the most impossible ways.

"Dammit! If that's the case, I'll go in by myself!" Takao made a quick dash towards the ring but got stopped by Mibuchi before he could score. The man in question didn't take Takao's ignorance of the rest of Rakuzan in kind.

The ball ended up in Akashi's hands before being stopped by Midorima. "Shintarou, you are strong. But you will lose. Who do you think had the Generation of Miracles subservient? Even for you guys, it's impossible to stand up against me." As Akashi was talking he used his ankle breaker successfully on Midorima, making him fall backwards. Shutoku's ace now sitting on the ground as Akashi scored right behind him.

"Come on, Shin-chan." Takao softly told his ace as he reached out to him. Before Takao could help Midorima up, Miyaji had walked by and slapped Midorima up the head startling the two boys.

"How long you gonna sit there, idiot? I'll crack your glasses!" Miyaji breathed out angrily.

"Oi! Can't you read those words? Get a grip!" Kimura motioned towards Shutoku's banner hanging out. 'Unyielding Tenacity' Behind the banner an entire section filled with supporters of Shutoku cheering them on.

"Midorima, Takao! We still have time, don't give up till the end! Start with one shot. Let's play to win." Otsubo called out to them, motivating the two boys.

Both of the boys being brought out of their gloomy mood, stood up once more, determined to give it their all.

"Let's go Takao." "Sure thing!" "Let's show them our trump card."

They were twenty points behind and the timer indicated they had less than six minutes in the fourth quarter. It was then that Takao had the ball, he looked around to see Rakuzan covering every single one of his team. The timer slowly running out, since you weren't allowed to hold unto a ball for too long. Midorima, who was being covered by Akashi, started to move into his shooting position. Akashi got confused to see his former teammate do such a thing without holding the ball. It was when Midorima jumped up and reached the peak of his jump that Takao threw the ball into Midorima's hands with perfect accuracy, enabling Midorima to make his three-pointer instantly. The crowd cheered loudly for the amazing play of the duo leaving a dumbfounded Akashi frozen in place.

"YES! Destroy them Kazu-chan, Mido-kun!!" Amami bounced on her feet, yelling towards her friends.

The two managed to pull off the amazing move one after the other, closing the gap between the teams once more. When Midorima fell down due to Akashi's ankle breaker, he quickly stood up once more, attempted to block the ball from going in, forcing Akashi to pass. Midorima wouldn't give up now but saw the ball going to Nebuya who had moved in to score. Otsubo, moving in quickly, succeeded in blocking, giving his team the much needed space to breathe. At this point it wasn't even necessary for Takao and Midorima to use their Pass and Shoot combination but did so anyway.

"Still not enough! Get on them!" The coach yelled out to his team who were now only eight points behind.

When both Midorima and Takao double-teamed Akashi, he had stepped back, looking towards his team before looking at his own ring. Without hesitation he turned towards it and threw the ball in his team's basket. This had let the majority of the people watching the game and players gaping in confusion. 

"Own goal? Wh-.." Amami looked on in disbelief.

"When did I tell you to drop your concentration? The game isn't over yet." He began a speech to his team that had assembled, even threatening to gouge his own eyes out and quitting the team if they would lose. The last statement was quite the shocker to most of the people hearing it. As overly dramatic as it was, it did have the wished effect on his team. Now Rakuzan seemed even more menacing when they commenced the game once more with four minutes left to play. Rakuzan made one point after the other, making the gap bigger once more. When Takao had the ball he managed to break free from the double-team blocking him, while he did that Midorima already began to move into his shooting position. Midorima had full trust that Takao would overcome the double team. Takao noticed and threw the ball towards Midorima with perfect timing. What happened next was a shock to all of them. Akashi had managed to step in between the two and block the ball from going towards Midorima. That meant that the speed of his movements throughout the entire game had been kept lower than it actually was, since now he was fast enough to act upon it. After Akashi took off with the ball and scored he told them of the weakness of this particular move, for him it was easy to use his 'eye' and stop it, knowing Midorima could only receive from his left side. He had put down the groundwork ever since the beginning of the game in order to win. To make things worse, once the game continued, Mibuchi had managed to make a four point play by forcing Takao to make a foul as he sank a three-pointer. Even though Shutoku gave their all until the end, Rakuzan kept scoring, not relenting once. In the last seconds Akashi received the ball and used his ankle breaker again on Midorima who had tried to block him, even when Midorima scrambled back on his feet and jumped, he was still too late and the ball went through the net, making the last point. Rakuzan won with 86-70.

With Shutoku eliminated, Rakuzan made their way to the finale. The game that was about to start between Seirin and Kaijo would reveal who'd join Rakuzan in the last round for the title of the winner of the Winter Cup.

"All of you, stand proud! Don't act slovenly until we're off the court. We're not the only ones who fought. Everyone line up in front of the supporters area!" Otsubo ordered his teammates, motioning towards the crowd behind him. The entire first string gathered up in a line before them and bowed, giving them their thanks. This had granted an applause from both the supporters and the rest of the audience.

"Final four, huh? Well I guess that's 'bout to what to expect. We really did well against the Rakuzan, I mean. ...Huh? Shin-chan, are ya heartbroken and stuff?" Takao muttered while they walked towards their locker room. His shoulders sagged when he looked at Midorima. "But..sorry.. I don't think... I can cheer ya up right now." His voice cracked while tears started to flow down his cheeks.

Midorima looked up with surprise to hear his teammate in such a vulnerable state before frowning. "Figures. But same for me. It is regretful to lose.. after all.." His voice barely a whisper as a his own tears made their way past his glasses.

Amami walked behind them, her heart breaking as she heard her two friends. She grabbed Takao's shoulder and squeezed it gently while placing her other hand on Midorima's back. Too afraid to speak up since she knew she couldn't hide her own sadness.

**************

Before the players started to change and head towards the shower, Amami went for a walk. She bought a can of green tea from a vending machine before sitting on a bench in a dark corner. It was then that soft sobs escaped her lips, holding on to her can as if it was a life line.

"Amami-san?" A familiar voice called out to her, making her look up. Her eyes landed on her coach, she quickly rubbed her eyes dry before answering.

"I'm here, coach.." She walked up towards the man.

The coach noticed her red eyes and her meek posture and gave the girl a warm smile. "We'll get over it, don't worry Amami-san. We'll use this to become stronger for next year and I hope you'll be there with us too."

Amami perked up at this, knowing her coach never was a man who was good with words. She gave him a bittersweet smile while nodding gratefully. "Of course I will, someone has to keep Kazu-chan in check."

They both made their way back towards their team who had managed to cheer up as well, if only a little. When they were ready they made their way towards the audience to watch the rest of the game between Seirin - Kaijo.

Seirin had won with 81-80, Kise had been benched for most of the game due to an injury from his previous game. Towards the ending they brought him back into the game for a final push with Kise's Perfect Copy. While Seirin didn't manage to stop Kise's onslaught they still had won, having enough lead before he came in. It was Kuroko, the passing specialist, who ended up making the deciding score. Tomorrow was the last day, everything would be decided then. Shutoku and Kaijo will play for third and fourth place before the finale between Seirin and Rakuzan would start.

Amami, having watched the game between Seirin and Kaijo was now sitting on one of the benches at the basketball court. The stadium had mostly run empty with the games done for today. She just sat there for a while in silence, her mind drifting to the memories of her team and this tournament.

"Amami, we're ready to leave nanodayo." Midorima walked up to her. "Oi, Ama--" He huffed when she didn't respond.

"Akashi sure has changed a lot huh.." She started, her gaze locked on her shoes. "I've never really known him that well, but this.. It's like he's someone else.."

Midorima went to sit next to her on the bench, not really sure what to say about his former teammate. "You knew him?"

Amami turned to look at Midorima and simply nodded. "My family's company have worked several years together with the Akashi's, in the past, so I ended up visiting them together with my brother. It's not like we became friends or anything, but I've never seen him act impolite.. arrogant for that fact. It's a bit sad... Sorry, you probably don't want to talk about him right now." She felt stupid for bringing him up to Midorima, who was she to get emotional while he had seemed to be closer to Akashi.

"It's alright nanodayo, we'll talk about it some other time, if you'd like." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he stood up to take his leave. "Come, they're waiti--"

"Huh? What's this..?" Amami interrupted him as she noticed something glistening from underneath the bench she sat on. She reached for it and found a necklace with a ring on it. It took her only five seconds for her to register whose necklace this was. "Isn't this Kagami-kun's necklace?" She showed Midorima the object.

"How should I know, that idiot would lose his own head if he co--"

"Where is it?!" A wild Kagami ran up towards the bench the two had been sitting on. 

A vein popped on Midorima's forehead as he not only got interrupted three times now, but seeing the red-head still annoyed him. "Idiot.." He motioned with his hand towards Amami who was holding the necklace up for Kagami.

"Looking for this?" She smiled with a blush as she placed the necklace in its owner's hand.

"Uwaaah! I thought I lost it, thanks!" He grinned toothily before placing the necklace around his neck, thumbing the precious ring.

"No problem, I just happened to find it lying under this bench." Her heart had doubled the speed, it had been a while since their last meeting.

"Looks like you won against Kise. To think you'd make it to Akashi.. My compliments in fact." Midorima stated, gaining Kagami's attention.

"Why do you sound so patronizing? Or rather, why are you hanging around?" He snapped before softening his voice once more.

"I was told to look for Amami nanodayo." Midorima calmly answered.

"Your match for third place is tomorrow, right?" Kagami looked between the two Shutoku students.

"A bit against my will, I can already see the result. In fact I'll be watching your game afterwards before I leave." He stated matter of factly.

This had earned a small chuckle from Kagami. "Gonna cheer for Akashi?"

"Like I would, idiot. I have no intention to nor does he need cheering on. Akashi is a strong one, nanodayo."

"Oi, Shin-chan, Seo-chan, we're going home!" Takao came in with Kuroko behind him.

"Coming, Kazu-chan!" Amami started to walk in his direction before stopping at Kagami. "Win your game tomorrow." Not waiting for his reply she took off.

"Kagami, I will tell you in fact something. About Akashi Seijuro, there are two of them. You can ask Kuroko over there the rest. See you. Do your best in fact, at the very least." And with that he left a confused Kagami behind joining his teammates.

The three Shutoku students walked outside to join the rest of the team and went home.

**************

Next day the stadium was overrun by people, the finale attracting a bigger crowd than usual. Family, friends and basketball teams who didn't make it slowly made their way inside. First game up was Kaijo - Shutoku to decide who would be third and fourth. Like Midorima had mentioned before, it was clear that they would win when they noticed Kise not in the starting line. The last game had taken its toll on his injury and was forced to sit this one out, leaving his senpais up against a member of the Generation of Miracles by themselves. Shutoku won with 54-96 and therefore secured third place in the tournament. Now they had to make way for the game everyone had been anticipating, Seirin - Rakuzan.

Amami had gone into the audience to secure her team nice seats as they went to clean up and change. Giving her the opportunity to watch the game from the beginning. Kagami had managed to shock the entire stadium when he opened the game by going into the zone immediately and pulling off a Meteor Jam with Akashi guarding him. The game had started really well for Seirin with Kagami in the zone scoring consecutive Meteor Jam's. But it didn't take long before Rakuzan would get a grip and fight back. Rakuzan still had three Uncrowned Kings and they were all more than willing to show their strength, giving Seirin a bad time. It was then when they realized that Rakuzan's fifth player had the same style as their very own Kuroko. A passing specialist using misdirection to support his team, not only that, the fellow phantom, Mayuzumi, seemed to have better specs than Kuroko. Kuroko was successfully shut down when his misdirection had no effect in the game due to the increased popularity from previous games and reduced lack of presence he therefore gained. 

Slowly but surely, Rakuzan started to pick one Seirin member after the other and shut them out, destroying any shred of hope they had. When their last hope had vanished Kuroko had somehow managed to motivate his team, having a plan for the other's phantom. With a loud cheer they picked themselves up and slowly but surely started to fight back again, closing the gap in scores along with it. Just as Seirin managed to get the upper hand once more Akashi decided to 'abandon' his team and, by going into the zone himself, single handedly deal with Seirin. It was clear that his own team didn't take that in kind, but having run out of options, they weren't in the position to say something. Akashi started his onslaught, showing everyone in the stadium why he was the captain of the Generation of Miracles. With his skills and abilities he managed to drive Seirin back into a corner, but it wouldn't take long for Seirin to come up with strategies to stop him. Which is exactly what they did, they had completely stopped Akashi, who had been in the zone, with team play. This resulted in Akashi having a change of heart when he was forced to get his 'shit' together by his team in a not so friendly way. It was then that the true Akashi had appeared, the Akashi Amami remembered from when she was a kid. The Akashi who had taught Kuroko his way of playing.

With the old Akashi back in the game, the true onslaught had begun however. He focused back on team play and turned into the perfect point guard enabling his team to take the upper hand once more. When Akashi went into the zone, it immediately had the same effect on his teammates as well. Now Seirin was facing five players in the zone while they were barely managing to hang on before. When that had happened a boy in the crowd suddenly yelled out encouraging Kuroko. Not long after almost all of the other Generation of Miracles had stood up and encouraged Seirin in their own ways. Motivating Seirin successfully. Something had to happen to be able to overthrow this immense power. And that something had happened when Kagami finally managed to figure out the true zone. With Kagami in the true zone he managed to completely sync up with his teammates who he had been playing together with for almost a year. Impressive plays were being done in a blink of an eye. Even though Seirin was now at their prime, Rakuzan had managed to hang on and kick it up a notch themselves. It was very close for a long while now, but with a combination of fouls, rebounds and better team play Seirin had managed to win by ending it with the true light and his shadow defeating Akashi with an alley-oop only those two could pull off. Seirin won with 105-106 against Rakuzan, making them the winner of the Winter Cup. Seirin had yelled out with pure joy and celebrated their victory.


	5. Chapter 5

The Winter Cup was over now and normal life took over once more. With exams heading towards the students they all started to study, some being more successful than others.

It was now their second year in high school and they had said goodbye to their third year senpais, who were now headed towards university or college. Promising to stay in contact of course, this also meant that new first years were joining them.

"Amami-san, we would be honored if you could help us organize our school festival, this year." A boy from the student council asked Amami who had become pretty popular due to her high scores of last years exams.

"I'll gladly do that." She chirped out, jumping on the chance of practicing her own abilities.

And with that Amami had started her second year in Shutoku, swamped with work but happy to be doing it. Her own studies, managing the basketball team and now organizing the festival were on her mind.

**************

"Mido-kuuuun~." Amami brushed up to Midorima, knowing it would make the teen feel awkward. "Wouldn't it be nice if your friends from your rainbow club could bring as many people as they can get and come this weekend to our school?" She asked Midorima who was now pushing Amami away from him with all his might.

"Why should I help you with your task? I could give you their numbers so you can call them yourself nanodayo." He bristled while picking his phone out of his pocket.

"Ah come on Shin-chan, you can't expect Seo-chan to call them, they might get weird ideas!" Takao jumped to the other side of Midorima, ganging up with his best friend. "Besides, it's been a while since you've seen them, I'm sure you miss them but are afraid to show it." Takao teased his teammate.

"T-Takao! .. Fine, with one condition: You two are not allowed to make fun at me for the next two weeks." Midorima seemed to have gone through hell lately with having his two friends behaving over friendly. 

Takao simply pouted at the request but picked himself up right away. "If that's what you want, Shin-chan. You'd make your tsundere ancestors very proud!"

Amami watched the two and giggled at their little bickering but gratefully nodded. "Thank you Mido-kun, try to get as many as you can get, we need the money!" And with that she started to skip out the gym.

Weekend quickly came and Shutoku opened its doors for everyone to visit the event. The courtyard was littered with many stalls, little shops with students selling items they had collected from their own home, having a little 'garage sale' as it were. Other stalls sold food and beverages. Amami had gone through many different stores and supermarkets in their city asking for discounts on their goods in return for advertising for them at the festival. All sorts of games were being held, having a small fee to participate in. It was as if they were on a fair where people would spend their money to have a nice fun day out. 

Amami walked through the school hallways, passing by the different classrooms who had their own little events like a Haunted house, a cafe with people dressed up as maids and butlers, a fortune teller, etc.. She was proud of herself and her school when she managed to encourage so many students into helping out with the festival. She now took it upon her to roam around the school to see if everyone was doing alright, if people were having any problems and if they had, she would immediately help them out with finding solutions.

She felt her phone buzz in the pocket of her jacket, quickly retrieving it to find she received a text message from Takao: 'Come to the entrance of the school. Hurry!'. She frowned when she made her way towards the school gate, her mind drifting to what possibly could be wrong. It's when she arrived that she realized there was no emergency whatsoever. Takao simply stood there, waving her over as he stood next to a group of people.

“Midori-kun, thanks for inviting us over!” A very excited Momoi called out as she clung on Kuroko's arm. Her cheeks a rosy tint that matched her hair and a bright smile, that could also be found on the blond model who was at Kuroko's other side. Kagami stood behind the group, rolling his eyes at them.

“Stop pulling Kuroko-cchi away from me-ssu!” Kise whined while attempting to get the phantom's attention. 

Kuroko simply stood there in between the two with his usual expressionless gaze. “Hello Midorima-kun, Takao-kun and Amami-san.”

Amami now stood next to Takao and welcomed everyone at their school. “Thank you for coming guys, I hope you'll have fun today!”

“I did what you asked me to, can I go now?” Midorima looked at Amami, very eager to leave the loud, colorful bunch behind.

“What kind of attitude is that? Aren't you here to help your school to begin with?” Kagami barked at the green-haired teen before readjusting himself as he saw Amami. His eyes taking in the sight of her in her normal clothes, asides the summer camp last year, he always saw her in her school uniform.

She wore light jeans with a simple light orange blouse and a dark gray jacket over it and comfortable sneakers. Orange, the color of her school and her hair, it suited her since it was simple yet elegant. “Ah, it's alright Kagami-kun, I owe Mido-kun one for asking you guys over today.” She looked grateful towards her friends next to her. “I do hope you'll stay though, Mido-kun, everyone's working hard today.”

Midorima simply huffed in annoyance but didn't make any movement to leave the premise. “Come Shin-chan, I saw some nice stalls that were selling weird items, I'm sure we'll find some fun stuff there.” Takao pulled his arm, pointing his finger towards numerous stalls.

And with that they all started to roam around Shutoku, spending their money on various things. Kise and Momoi started putting all sorts of weird hats on Kuroko's head, both squeaking in delight as they found him cute. Kuroko's expression revealed a very subtle hint of annoyance but couldn't deny their affectionate behavior.

Amami had gotten a few extra calls of small emergencies that got handled well with some help, before she walked towards a stage that had a big table on it. 'Ah yes, the hot dog eating contest will start soon..' She thought and decided to stick around, taking a small break she deserved.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming towards our school to help us out today! We have many events and games you can participate in and plenty of food and drinks, so start spending! Our hot dog eating contest will start in five minutes, may I ask the people who have signed up to make their way towards the stage?” The student council president said as he stood on the stage with a microphone.

Amami meanwhile bought a bottle of green tea and decided to lean against one of the stalls. She looked around the crowd with a very content smile until her eyes landed on fiery locks making its way towards the stage. She almost let her bottle drop on the ground as she saw Kagami, among other people, walk up towards the large table. 'Why am I surprised, exactly?' She rolled her eyes at herself before realization dawned upon her. 'So much for trying to make some money out of you, huh?' She chuckled to herself, knowing the boy's appetite goes well beyond the calculated expense.

The buzzer rang, indicating the time was over. Some of the participants gave up halfway through, some even ran towards the restroom while others gave up when they saw Kagami inhale one hot dog after hot dog at a frightening speed. The crowd simply stood in awe while the red-head patted his inflated belly. His plate that once shouldered a mountain of hot dogs, now empty.

“E-Erh.. right! And the winner is Kagami-san, congratulations!” The president spoke through the microphone still in shock at what just had transpired. The audience applauded the boy as they had cheered them on before. Kagami simply nodded before making his way towards the exit of the stage. “A-Ah! Wait, you still haven't received your gift yet!” The boy with the microphone exclaimed as he saw the winner wobbling away. Kagami sheepishly turned around to receive his prize, which happened to be a medium sized plastic bobble-head in the shape of a sumo wrestler eating a pie. He awkwardly bowed in gratitude before once more making his way towards the exit, making sure to grab an untouched hot dog on one of the other plates on the way. 'This guy...' Amami rubbed her forehead, amused by the boy's appetite.

The day slowly neared its ending, the event was a huge success, asides Kagami's appetite. A little bit earlier Amami had received a text message from Takao, telling her that they were in the gym and telling her she should drop by. Which is exactly what she was doing now, her job was over, she decided that she'd leave the rest towards the other students helping out.

When she neared the gym she could hear the familiar shoe squeaks and tapping of the ball on the floor.

“Don't tell me you guys have been playing basketball the entire day..” She entered the gym before she saw most of the others were there as well. Kise being the exception, he had told them he'd have to leave early since he had some modeling job to go to.

“Of course not Seo-chan! We've been walking around all day, but Shin-chan got restless so we decided to play a bit.” Takao answered her, surprised when Midorima didn't snap at his teammate.

“And of course the rest of you thought the same, geez, you guys really are basketball idiots.” She said jokingly as she made her way towards the bleachers where Momoi was sitting. It was then that her eyes fell on a large bag almost bursting at the seams. Before she could ask anything Takao was already explaining.

“Shin-chan bought a lot of stuff today, he's been draggin' me all over the school for these.”

“They happen to be my lucky items for the upcoming days nanodayo..” Midorima blushed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Amami glanced over the bag once more before looking at Midorima with a knowing smile. She didn't buy his story but couldn't help but feel happy at Midorima's weird way of helping his school out. Unfortunately she had made a promise not to tease the boy for two weeks. “That's great Mido-kun, I'm happy you found stuff to your liking.” A warm smile curved her lips that got bigger when she noticed him having trouble hiding his own smile.

“Let's play a game..” He quickly huffed embarrassed but glad that the only person who saw through him didn't seem to tease him with it.

“Can I play too? It's been so long since I've played with Tetsu-kun!” Momoi pleaded the boys as she was leaning possessively over Kuroko's shoulder.

“Momoi-san, we need even teams that are also balanced..” Kuroko started to explain to her before he got interrupted by Takao.

“Seo-chan can play too, right? That way we could have a three on three, quasi Seirin versus Shutoku! It'll still be balanced too then.” Takao already pulled Amami up from the bleachers, not giving her room to object. She was tired.. very tired and actually planned on going home soon but her best friend winking and 'subtly' elbowing her, convinced her to tag along.

“Alright, but don't expect much from me..” She sighed a bit nervously, her best friend had always asked her to play with him ever since they were kids, but she always seemed more comfortable just watching.

“We'll be fine, nanodayo, today Scorpios are number one. Both you and Takao are Scorpio.” Stated Midorima, confident in the upcoming game with a not so convinced Amami joining them.

Kagami, Kuroko and Momoi teamed up against Midorima, Takao and Amami. The game started in a slow pace, both girls not really used to playing themselves for a change. It was clear that the boys went a little 'easy' at first. That was until Kagami blocked the fourth three-pointer Midorima was about to make in a row. Clearly pissing the green-haired teen off which made him raise the level of the game a little bit more. The girls managed to keep up however, having gotten used to the game by now and relying mostly on their teammates anyway to make the plays. Even though it was hard on them, they had fun, giggling and cheering whenever they helped out. 

“Stop cheering for the other team, this is basketball, not a tea party nanodayo!” Midorima huffed at Amami when team Seirin made a basket.

“But, Momoi-kun made a really nice pass Mido-kun!” She laughed, shrugging her ace off.

“It's all thanks to Tetsu-kun!” The pink-haired girl swooned, completely overjoyed of playing with Kuroko.

Amami simply rolled her eyes at the clear crush the girl had for Kuroko.

“I didn't do much, it was all Momoi-san.” Kuroko told Momoi with a twinkle in his eyes.

'Ah.. that explains the crush..' Amami smiled as she witnessed Kuroko's gentle and affectionate expression towards Momoi.

It was Shutoku's turn to go on the offense, Takao threw the ball towards Amami, who stood pretty close to the ring, successfully with a sly grin. Amami was confused, it would've made more sense to throw it to Midorima since he was free.. and more able. Before she could question her friends' action she felt the sudden tense presence behind her. Kagami stood behind her, between her and the ring, defending. The sheer presence almost paralyzed her entire body as she could feel the red-head so close. Every small move she made was met with him adjusting to her to guard her in every situation. His body was now brushing up against her back causing Amami to blush furiously.

'He's too close.. can't think.. calm.. down!' She tried to soothe her nerves, panic wracking her brains. She looked to Midorima who was glaring at Takao for some reason and when her eyes landed on her best friend she could see why. Takao was simply smirking while wiggling his eyebrows as he purposefully put his best friend in this situation.

“Think you can get past me?” Kagami's rough voice taunted her which made the girl snap out of it. Her mind now quickly trying to find a solution and when she did, she gulped before mustering all the courage she needed for her next move. 'Well, it's not really fair play..' She shuffled her hips slightly, taking advantage of the close proximity between them by briefly touching his hips with hers. When she looked over her shoulder she hoped the combination of that sneaky move plus her smirk would grant her what she aimed for. Which it, of course did, the sudden brush of her hips against his groin was enough to throw the boy behind her off. He simply froze up at the contact and when he noticed her smirk his jaw had fallen open, giving Amami room to break free and throw the ball at the ring, scoring.

No one saw what she exactly did so it came as a big surprise when they saw Amami successfully pass by Kagami and score. She jumped up in victory, pumping her fist in the air, not feeling the slightest bit guilty. The boy stood there, flustered and his face now matching his hair color. He opened his mouth a few times before closing it, not sure what he actually wanted to say.

Amami ran back towards the rest of her team, waiting on Seirin's attack. Takao's eyes fixed on her as she passed him by, his eyes narrowing as his brain started to solve the puzzle. “I thought my little Seo-chan was innocent..” He whispered in her ears before patting her on the back. She stiffened up when her secret was out, so she turned around to him. “That was your fault to begin with!” She hissed through clenched teeth. Her glare less intimidating due to the redness that crossed her cheeks up until her ears which received the typical Takao-giggle in response.

The game had continued more or less the same as it did before, minus the shenanigans. Amami was too shy suddenly as was Kagami. The game finally had ended with a victory for team Shutoku, though it was close.

They started to pack their belongings, in Midorima's case a big bag, before moving out of the gym. The six of them walked together towards the school entrance rather peacefully until Midorima noticed Kagami carrying something in his hand.

“Kagami, what's that weird thing you're holding?” Midorima gestured towards the bobble-head.

“I don't want to hear that from you!” Kagami barked out defensively as he showed the group the item. “You always carry random crap with you.”

“Those are my lucky items, nanodayo!” Midorima breathed out.

“Well maybe this is mine, you bastard!” Both teens snarling at each other until Kuroko decided to break them up.

“Actually I've been wondering too, Kagami-kun.” The phantom took a closer look towards the figurine.

“I don't know, it's some.. weird bobble-head of a sumo wrestler eating a pie.. It was my prize for winning the hot dog contest.” He stammered out, shrugging at the strange object he was holding up.

Amami took a closer look. “I think it's kinda cute..” She murmured softly, walking in between Takao and Kagami.

“That doesn't mean anything, you're weird too.” Takao joked as he flicked her ear receiving a glare from her instead.

“Takes one to know one..” She childishly responded, completely out of character.

“Aaaw, is my Seo-chan getting tired, no energy left to fight me anymore?” The raven-haired teen continued to tease her.

'Well, you would too if you would've helped out today..' She thought, not even bothering to put up a fight, knowing her best friend well enough, she knew that this was going to be a fight she could not win in her state. “Yeah..”

They continued until they reached the station.

“Thank you guys for coming over today. It was fun to spend some time with you as well.” She softly told the group once more while the others started to say their own goodbyes. Momoi started to drag Kuroko towards the entrance of the station with Midorima lagging behind them.

“H-Here.. you can have this..” Kagami thrust his hand with the bobble-head sumo wrestler out towards Amami, his eyes finding his shoes very interesting all of a sudden.

Takao, who was still standing next to Amami, didn't move a muscle while Amami simply looked up towards the boy in front of her confused.

“Eh?”

“You said you thought he looked c-cute.. so you can have it, if you want.” He ran his hand through his fiery hair as his gaze went everywhere except for her. His other hand still offering the figurine to her.

“T-Thank you, that's very sweet of you.” Amami smiled nervously while a blush once more made its appearance on her entire face. She gently accepted the toy from him, her fingers softly brushing the palm of his rough hands.

“No problem..” He smiled shyly, red fiery eyes looking straight into emerald green when their hands touched for that brief moment.

Amami looked down at the plastic toy in her hand, the head wobbling towards the pie it was holding in its hand. She laughed softly as the sumo wrestler was furiously eating the pie by moving its mouth towards it. She looked back up towards Kagami who was sporting his own blush. “Cute..” She muttered, noticing the boy was biting his bottom lip. 'Did I say that out loud..?' She wondered.

“Yeah, better treat him right, then.” Kagami let out a breathy chuckle thinking she was referring to the toy in her hand.

“I will.. goodnight Kagami-kun.” She nodded as she said her goodbye.

“Goodnight, both of you.” Kagami smiled nervously, realizing Takao was still there too. Turning around he quickly dashed off towards the others inside.

The two childhood friends slowly made their way towards their home, they lived only two blocks away from each other. Amami was completely love struck while Takao teased her throughout the entire walk home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everyone \o/

“Owner-san!” Amami happily skids through the entrance towards the owner of the lodge at the beach. “Shutoku has arrived!” She salutes the man firmly with a sly wink.

“Ah, Amami-san was it? Welcome back, here are the keys, enjoy your stay.” The man smiled as he saw a mass of teens dragging their suitcases towards the building.

“Thank you very much.” She bowed her thanks before she darted towards the rest of the group, distributing keys of their rooms. “Riko-san, I've got our key!” She yelled out as the female coach was still outside, busy holding Hyuga in a Boston crab hold. This made the coach let her poor captain go and gave Amami a nod.

Shutoku and Seirin decided to have a repeat of last year's summer camp and saved money by renting a bigger bus for both schools and for Amami and Riko to share the same room. The teens were now unpacking their bags in their rooms and preparing themselves for their training to begin. 

“So, the deal is still on?” Amami asked her current roommate who was now sitting on her bed, skimming through some papers.

“You make everyone dinner, I do their laundry? I still don't understand why you would want this, since it's more work to prepare their food.. but I'm not complaining!” Riko answered, making her way towards the door and smiled when Amami answered.

“A bag of filthy clothes from a bunch of sweaty guys stinks, ...a lot!” Amami grimaced at the thought of the foul odor that made its way down her nostrils last year.

They made their way towards the gym where they had ordered everyone to meet up in an hour after arriving. Both coaches once more explaining what the planning of the week was towards the teams. It had been pretty much the same like last year where they would equally divide the time in the gym and outside and then the usual friendly games in the afternoon to test their abilities against each other. A quick explanation was given to the first years having missed out on previous year, naturally.

“Alright, I want one Shutoku and one Seirin with me! I'm going to the store and I'm going to need the strongest of you all since our fridges are completely empty and in dire need of restocking!” Amami joked loudly with the necessary flexing of her arms as she looked at both teams in front of her.

“I'll come and help you manager-san!” One of her first years sprinted with much gusto towards her, showing off 'his guns' towards his team when they started to tease him.

“I don't know Hashiba-chan.. I've seen arms more impressive than those chicken wings you're showing off now..” She teased the boy, knowing he could take it seeing he'd become the loudmouth of the team and rather full of himself most of the time. Her gaze subconsciously landed on Kagami who was grinning at the display Shutoku was putting up. “What do you say, Kagami-kun, think you can compensate for his noodle-arms?”

This had received the expected cat calls and taunts from both teams, their spirits already going in competition mode. 

Kagami stood up with a shy smile and blush as he walked up to Amami and Hashiba. “Leave it to me!” He brimmed with determination and with that, intimidating the poor guy now standing next to him.

The trio headed towards the store, grocery list ready in Amami's pocket. The walk was rather entertaining thanks to Hashiba's energetic and overwhelming personality, asking the red-head questions which Kagami tried to answer.

“I'm telling you small people can't dunk! The ring is way too high for them.” Hashiba heatedly told Kagami as they were arguing.

“They can, it's just harder!” He barked in disbelief when the younger teen became rather stubborn about his statement.

“Guys.. calm down, we're in public and we don't want to get our schools in trouble with your ruckus. Also, Hashiba-chan, you clearly never played against Rakuzan.. yet. When we do you'll understand what Kagami-kun is trying to tell you.” Amami successfully calmed the two loudmouths while sharing a knowing smile with Kagami.

“Yeah, that Akashi is one hell of a player.. Still gives me the creeps too, though Kuroko told me that he changed.” Kagami remembered the other red-head in their game at the Winter Cup.

“Tsk, easy for monsters like you guys..” Hashiba clicked his tongue, muttering the words with bitterness.

Amami simply slapped the boy up the head, leaving her hand on it and pushing him down. “Show some respect towards your senpais Hashiba-chan.. also they're not monsters.. just really good players. And one of your 'monsters' is in our team too.” 

Even though she once had thought of them as monsters herself, she had started to feel guilty about it. Having become friends with her ace and becoming close to a few others had showed her that these guys are just your typical teenagers asides basketball. Of course it didn't help that they were immensely gifted with their talents, somehow they were used to bitter responses from jealous players.

Kagami blinked several times as he watched the two Shutoku students bicker and a hearty laugh followed after it, making the two look up. “Can't wait to play against Midorima this week, if coach is gonna force me into running the entire week again, I'm gonna lose it.”

“Time will tell, now boys.. show me your true strength!” She slapped both boys on their backs, ushering them inside the store.

The rest of their trip had gone rather calm, having to behave in the store and carrying the numerous heavy bags towards the lodge. Once they had placed the bags in the kitchen Amami had dismissed them. Telling the younger teen he clearly needed to buff up some more while smiling at Kagami. She had thanked them and let them go back towards the gym to join up with the rest.

With that the summer training camp started, two schools terrorizing the small quiet town at the beach. Everything went as planned, training went well, the friendly games had been close and helped the coaches reconsider some tactics but more importantly Amami didn't have to touch one dirty sock throughout the entire week thanks to Riko. It had, considering the rowdy group, been normal so far.

**************

Amami stood in the kitchen, used to the daily slaving away to feed the hungry beasts like last year. It was evening somewhere in the middle of the week now when the lights suddenly went off, leaving her entirely in the dark. She glanced around, trying to peer through the sudden darkness to no avail. 'What the hell..' She thought in confusion when she tried to slowly make her way to where she remembered where the light switch was. Halfway the slow walk, being scared she might hit something, she heard the door of the kitchen open.

“H-Hello?” She asked but got greeted with silence. A few seconds passed until she heard something closer to her shuffle stuff around. “Who's there? I can't see anything!” She exclaimed, feeling more restless by the second. Suddenly she felt something soft graze her bare leg, this caused her to yelp loudly in horror. Her brain tried to think of what it could be that just touched it when she was nudged once more from behind, making her stumble forwards. This caused her to yell out in panic, fear taking over her brain. She scrambled forward, desperately trying to find that light switch now but felt her body stumble against another sort of soft. Amami started to trash her limbs around while screaming, tears welling up as arms suddenly wrapped around her.

“-mi?! AMAMI, it's me!” Kagami yelled, trying to get through to her. His hold on her making it somehow worse. 

He had been hungry so he had decided to grab something small to eat before dinner while listening to some music through his headphones. Somewhere along the line the lights had shut off but he was oblivious to it, his mind dead set on the delicious food that was awaiting him in the kitchen. When he had entered the kitchen, he had flipped the switch on without any result. Thinking he might have been wrong he looked further for the real switch, making him stumble against the cupboard. Pans clanked against each other but fell on deaf ears since he was still listening to his music. Not only the pans, but apparently a now very scared Amami didn't get through to him. It was then that he felt someone bump into him followed with faint screaming. Removing his earphones he was greeted by the high pitched shriek not so far away from him. It took him a few seconds to register whose voice it was and what was going on, so when he grasped the situation he called out to Amami, trying to explain it was just him. But the woman was now hysteric and felt his calls couldn't get through to her. He decided to hold her and somehow try that way to calm her down.

“Amami-kun, it's me, Kagami, calm down.” He gently said right next to her ear, hoping it would have a better result than him yelling while still holding her.

“K-Kagami..-kun?” She heard him clearly now. She sobbed while her heart was still racing in her chest, holding on for dear life to the guy who hadn't released his grip yet.

“I'm sorry I scared you, I didn't know you were here.” He quickly explained while awkwardly trying to soothe the girl.

Her heart stopped hammering when she realized there was nothing bad going to happen and left out an out of breath chuckle. “Sorry, Kagami-kun, I just felt something brush up my legs and got sca-- SOMETHING WET TOUCHED MY LEG!”

“...” Kagami became confused once more at the weird statement. “Huh?”

“SOMETHING JUST LICKED MY LEG!!” Amami's adrenaline rushed back in full force throughout her entire body. Her survival instinct kicking in made her jump on the boy, arms wrapping around his neck and legs around his waist.

Kagami's reflexes held the girl in place while he was still trying to figure out what was going. “Amami, wh-” He started but got interrupted by a loud familiar bark. “GEH! NIGOU?!” His question got answered with another bark from the now mature dog that Kuroko had brought along.

It was now Kagami's turn to panic and run around in fear, Amami still clinging onto him like a koala. “What..? Nigou?” She asked him nervously holding on for dear life as the tall man was now running away haphazardly through the kitchen which was still covered in complete darkness.

“DOG... Kuroko... that bastard!” He angrily yelled, getting annoyed as the dog kept barking and chasing him. It was then that he heard her laugh, her body shaking as the laughter rang through the kitchen. She had tightened her grip on him out of pure relief, letting out a deep breath that touched his neck.

“A dog..? Please calm down Kagami-kun, I'm sure if it's Kuroko's dog that he likes you.” She giggled at the thought of a tall man running from a dog.

“He's evil! He always follows me!” Kagami heatedly responded in his defense.

It's then that the lights suddenly turned on once more, casting light on the kitchen which resembled something of a post-apocalyptic scene. Nigou sitting right next to them, wagging his tail as he looked up.

“WRAF!”

“Don't call Nigou evil please, he just likes you Kagami-kun.” Kuroko stood next to his dog causing the two teens who were still clinging onto each other to scream out once more.

It had taken them a few minutes to calm down and let go of each other seeing there was never any threat to begin with. The red-head still casting heated glares towards Kuroko and his dog, the latter being petted by Amami.

“Honestly, I can't believe we got so scared over just a dog..” She looked towards both boys in the kitchen, Kuroko sporting a small smile and a twinkle of mischief in his eyes while Kagami was now resembling a tomato. Looking at the ground, embarrassed by what just happened, but somehow giddy as he still remembers how she had clung unto him.

“Y-Yeah.. are you alright? I'll help you clean up the kitchen, we both messed it up pretty bad.” He asked her when he looked around the kitchen.

“That would be nice, thank you Kagami-kun.” She smiled but covered her hand over her face, hiding the blush from embarrassment, remembering the close proximity they were having moments before.

That was Kuroko's queue to leave the kitchen, motioning Nigou to follow him and let the two alone for a bit. The two already had forgotten about his presence anyway. When he and Nigou stepped outside the kitchen, he was met with a small group of people pressed up against the door. His gaze stared towards them, blinking once. “Hello.”

“Yo..!” Takao scratched his head with a small laugh, being caught eavesdropping together with Hashiba, Midorima and Riko.

It was Takao, Hashiba and Riko who'd been eagerly trying to make up what's going in inside the kitchen once they had heard the loud yelling and shrieks coming from the room. Midorima got dragged along by Takao, he just stood there, leaning with his back against the wall, arms crossed. 

“Are those two idiots done with causing such commotion?” Midorima huffed in a condescending fashion, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“Aw Shin-chan, just admit you were worried for a moment as well.” Takao said, nudging him with his elbow.

“Don't be an idiot, Takao.. I was only worried Amami would break something, nanodayo.” He rolled his eyes and looked in the other direction.

“They both seem alright, let's just leave them alone.” Riko told the rest with a wink.

“Wait.. leave them alone?!” Hashiba yelped out, a pout forming on his face. “That's not fair! She's _our_ cute manager-san! Seirin shouldn't steal ours because they don't have any cute girls in their team!.”

Kuroko paled at the last part of the sentence and quickly disappeared into thin air with Nigou, afraid of what was going to happen.

“Haaah? What was that, you brat?!” Riko had several veins popping on her forehead while a dark scary aura started to surround her. She pushed up her sleeve on one arm while loosening her shoulder up.

“RUN!” Takao yelled out, pushing Midorima ahead of him, both making a dash for it.


	7. Chapter 7

Next morning, Seirin was having their practice on the beach. Practice was much harsher since their coach was in a bad mood, for some “unknown” reason. They were both teamed up with two, one doing sit-ups while the other held the other's feet down.

Kagami held Kuroko's feet, his gaze roaming the beach until it landed on Amami. She was making her way over the beach holding on to a bag, towel and umbrella while being followed by Hashiba who seemed to be talking very animatedly as usual. He noticed her smile towards the boy when he set up the umbrella for her. A pang of jealousy ran through Kagami, making him scowl. The boy in front of him noticed his partner's scowl and followed his gaze. A small smile crept on his lips.

“Kagami-kun... shouldn't be... jealous.” He said while doing his sit-ups, huffing due to the exercise and heat from the sun.

“Who the hell is that brat anyway, he's so loud and always hovering around her. Doesn't he have to join his team for practice or something?!” His scowl deepens, ignoring Kuroko's earlier statement.

“Hashiba! Get your damn stupid ass in here!” Shutoku's captain yelled angrily towards the younger boy. The captain was Miyaji's younger brother and now in charge of the team, being scary runs in the family, it seems.

The boy sprinted towards the gym as if the devil himself was chasing him, leaving an amused Amami to herself on her towel in the sun. She pulled up her blouse, leaving her in her bikini. The moment she started to rub herself with sunscreen Kagami finally looked away with a crimson blush.

“Maybe she... doesn't dislike... loud people,... Kagami-kun.” A meaningful gaze met his crimson eyes.

This made Kagami scowl deeper, knitting his dual-brows. Kuroko had a hunch who Amami liked but felt like he shouldn't meddle, but since the progress has been so slow for a year now he thought he could at least help steer him in the right direction. Shutoku's first year seemed like a great way to spur on the red-head. Kuroko didn't lie when he told Kagami that she probably liked loud people, Kagami simply didn't realize that he fell in that same category when Kuroko told him.

**************

Inside the gym Shutoku were doing their usual exercises, their coach keeping an eye on his players. The boys stood in line to make a fluid succession of lay-ups when Hashiba poked Takao, requesting his attention. “Takao-senpai, does our manager have a boyfriend?”

“Eh? Where did that come from?” Takao looked behind him quizzically at the first year.

“Well yesterday you guys seemed to be talking about Amami-senpai and Kagami.. So I just wondered if they were.. you know, together?” He tried his best to keep his voice low enough so his coach and captain wouldn't hear them.

“Ah, the kitchen incident.. no they're not a couple.. but-” Takao began before running to make a lay-up when he retrieved the ball.

“Oh! That's great, I really thought he stole our manager from us!” He exclaimed, happy to have heard that, before following Takao after his lay-up.

“W-Well.. it's not that simple Hashiba-chan, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did.” Takao said, knowing of his best friends feelings towards Kagami.

“Only if she would like him back, right?” This time some worry glanced through his voice as he stuck to his senior like white on rice.

“Dude, everyone knows she likes him, I think some of our second stringers have actually placed bets on when they would finally hook up..” Kimura, the other first year _and_ also brother of Shutoku's ex-center drawled lazily having caught up with the conversation happening in front of him.

“What? No way..” Hashiba's posterior slumped, making him miss his lay-up.

“Come on man, everyone knows..” Kimura placed his hand on his teammates shoulder, not sure to comfort the boy or mock him for being dense.

This caused their ace to freeze up and with that, block the line of lay-ups. “She likes _him_? When did that happen?” Midorima turned around to Takao, hoping he would clear up the ridiculous rumors about her.

“Aaah.. Shin-chan, somewhere last year? Do you hate the guy that much that you didn't see your own friend gushing over him?” Takao let out an awkward laugh, not sure what to expect from his ace when he apparently burst his bubble.

“If you guys don't shut up and continue practicing, I'm gonna make sure you won't live to see those two happen.” A menacing aura enveloped the gym when Miyaji threatened his team.

**************

After this morning and its revelations, it was no surprise that two boys were sending each other death-glares during lunch. Hashiba not fully accepting the idea of those two together while Kagami thought the other was trying to steal her away from him.

It was during their practice game that tensions truly flared up between the two. Hashiba wore a smug smirk when he entered the gym together with Amami, fully aware of the crimson gaze on them.

'This guy..' Takao mentally rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what his kouhai was trying to achieve. He intervened by karate-chopping him on the head before dragging him on the court. Not even giving him a word when the younger boy started to object.

Amami sat down on the bleachers with a sleeping Nigou at her feet. She noticed something off about the red-head when she was observing the game, he seemed more tense than usual. “Sweet pass, Kazu-chan!” She cheered when Takao used his hawk-eye vision to make an amazing pass underneath one leg towards Hashiba, bringing Kagami off-guard.

“Nice!” The young forward complimented his senpai as he stormed off to make a dunk for his team. The boy immediately turned to Amami to check if she saw him score, grinning brightly. His smile faltering when he noticed she was staring at Kagami instead, slight concern edged on her face.

“Don't get cocky, bastard, that was thanks to Takao's pass.” The red-head glared at the slightly smaller boy in front of him.

“Says the one being backed up by the phantom sixth member of Teiko.” Hashiba jeered, sticking his tongue out when he noticed Kagami's anger brewing.

Kagami wasn't known for his incredible anger management so it was no surprise he started to play brashly and ended up making three fouls during the entire game. Not a surprise either that Hashiba was the one being the victim each time.

“You bastard!” Kagami yelled out after one of the many taunts the other made, making sure it could only be heard by the two of them.

'Yes, keep that up, show Amami what an idiot you really are..' He smirked as he walked away, shrugging to his teammates.

After many rib-jabs from Kuroko and slaps from Riko, Kagami seemed to have calmed down..mostly. But the damage had already been done, Shutoku's lead was too much, leading them to victory in the end.

Almost immediately after the game Takao ran towards Amami, wrapping his arm around her neck and dragging her out of the gym.

'Great, now this guy too?!' Kagami gritted his teeth when he saw her being dragged away. He kicked an empty water bottle lying on the floor away from him.

“Aaah, my bottle...!” Furihata yelled out as he ran after it.

Kagami stormed out the gym, not even bothering to look back at some of his teammates who were clearly pissed off with his behavior.

**************

After dinner and her job she sat on the beach by herself, 'spacing out' as Takao would always say. She looked up at the night sky while hugging her knees closer to herself. “Boys..” She muttered lowly while rolling her eyes at these weird creatures.

Further down the beach Kagami was running on the beach, trying to clear his mind somewhat of today's aggravations. From a distance he noticed her sitting on the beach, his brain and heart going in hyper drive. 'Should I talk to her.. perhaps apologize.. aaah she probably thinks I'm an idiot anyway.' He slowed his running down, still enough distance between them to give him some time to consider things. 'What do I even say to her without sounding like a moron..' The more Kagami was thinking, the less convinced he became of his initial idea until thoughts of this afternoon came surging through his mind. 'Maybe Kuroko was right, she could like that guy.. but..' His heart clenched at the thought of her and the annoying brat together. 'No, I have to..' His face showed a sudden burst of determination as he approached her. Before she could greet him he leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips... 

'NO! No, I can't do that either, that'd be creepy, even I know that..' Kagami was still standing a small distance away from her, having made a small scenario in his mind. He breathed in deeply and approached the girl for real this time. “H-Hey, Amami-kun, taking a break?” He mentally cursed himself for asking her such a dumb question.

Amami's eyes widened with surprise and a small yelp came out of her when she heard the warm gruff voice of the boy close to her. Looking up she saw him standing only a few meters away from her, the light from the moon, the only source of light revealing a serious face on the male teen. “G-Gah, Kagami-kun you scared me!”

“S-Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you... again.” Kagami stammered a nervous apology, bowing deeper than any human should.

“No no, it's alright Kagami-kun, I was just spacing out for a moment that I didn't notice you. Yes, I'm done with my job for today, to answer your question.” She smiled, trying to hide the fact her mouth just became as dry as the desert and her heart attempting to break free from her rib cage.

“Mind if I join you for a bit?” He nervously looked around while his hand ruffled his fiery locks. 'She's gonna think I'm a creep now..'

“Oh, of c-course not..” She pats the sand next to her, motioning for the boy to take a seat.

Kagami's face lit up like fireworks, due to relief and plopped himself on the designated spot next to her. His bright grin faltering as he realized that he didn't think further than this.

It became quiet for a small minute, both teens too caught up with their own nerves until Amami decided to break the silence.

“Sooo, it seems you have calmed down... I mean, this afternoon you seemed pretty upset..” She blurted out, her gaze stiff towards the sea.

Kagami's mouth opened, his instincts wanting to deny his earlier moment of weakness, but immediately squeezed his lips tight. He didn't want to lie to her and it was also the reason why he decided to talk to her in the first place. He took a deep breath, calming himself down somewhat and looked at the girl to his left. “Yeah.. sorry for acting like that to your friend.. I shouldn't have..”

Surprise slipped over her face, not having expected for the boy next to her to apologize. “Kagami-kun, he was acting like a douche-bag, I'm glad you've put my _teammate_ in his place.” She put a small emphasis on the 'teammate'. Hashiba was their first year teammate, nothing more or less.

“Tell that to my team, coach just doubled my practice for the rest of the week.. wait, you knew he was acting like that during the game?” Kagami interrupted himself and felt his heart hurt a little bit less when she called the boy her teammate.

“Kazu-chan told me what happened when the game finished, but it's not like I didn't realize something was off between the two of you. You seemed different and only around him.” She had watched the red-head plenty during his games this past year, perhaps a bit more than just watching. A surge of blood rushed to her cheeks, making the blush even visible in the dark. “..He's a nice guy, underneath a vast layer of idiocy and arrogance.”

At that Kagami let out a breathy chuckle. “Sounds like someone I know..if it's not the Generation of Miracles, it's some other kid trying to piss me off..”

“Hmm, more fun for you to show them your strength and kick them off their high horse, no?” She looked at him, admiration shining through her eyes.

He looked back at her, noticing the sincerity of her words. His chest swelled up with pride at the kind words. “Keep making compliments and I might end up as arrogant and conceited as those bastards too.” He warmly chuckled, his heart making somersaults in his chest.

“They've all changed now, Mido-kun wouldn't admit it though. As for you, you are too nice to become like that..” She smiled thoughtfully.

Kagami froze at that last part, his entire body felt like it got caught on fire. He swallowed the imaginary dry lump in his throat. Before he knew it, he inched closer to her and placed his thumb and fingers on her chin making her look up at him. His tongue darted over his lips quickly, moisturizing them, before he placed them softly on hers. His eyes closed at the sensation of her soft, warm lips on his.

Amami froze up at first, not expecting him to make such a move, but when the sudden realization of her crush kissing her crashed over her she leaned in and returned the kiss. 

It was the first kiss for both (Alex doesn't count!), being very inexperienced they took it slowly. Gingerly and innocently pecking each other on the lips before becoming a bit more 'daring' and placed their hands on the others cheek or shoulder. 

“I like you..a lot..” Kagami murmured while his lips were ghosting over hers. He pushed a few strands of ginger locks behind her ear, taking in the beautiful expression from Amami.

“I like you a lot as well, Kagami-kun.” She smiled contently, leaning into his hand as he was now cupping her cheek. Enjoying the warmth seeping through the simple touch. _His_ warmth.

Kagami let out a warm chuckle, making her heart skip a beat like it usually would. Memories of the first time that had happened flitted through her mind. She chuckled, overjoyed that the feelings she had for so long now, were mutual. Not long after, a cold breeze made her shiver slightly, goosebumps rippling over her exposed skin.

“We should go back inside, it's getting quite late.” He bumped her forehead with his, gently, reluctant to call it a night, but they were still in the middle of training camp. They both couldn't afford to make it late.

“Mmm..” She nodded wordlessly before standing up and brushing the sand off of her clothes. “Let's go.” She smiled to him as he joined her.

They both slowly walked towards the building together. Amami bit her lip as she moved closer to him, letting her hand brush over his before intertwining their fingers. She was pretty sure that her face would've looked comical due to the furious blush, but she couldn't care less.

Kagami's hand flinched for a split second when he felt her fingers gliding through his own before firmly holding her hand. Looking to his right at the girl with a shy smile and cheeks rivaling the color of his hair.

They now stood in front of her room she had been sharing with his coach. Very reluctant to let go of their joined hands.

“Guess I'll see you in the morning..” Kagami whispered softly, his fiery eyes gazing into twinkling emerald ones.

Amami smiled, his gaze successfully knocking the air from her lungs. She balanced on her tippy-toes while bracing her hand on his shoulder to kiss him softly on his lips. “Goodnight Kagami-kun.”

Before she could turn around to head inside her room, he quickly grabbed her wrist gently, holding her in place. He leaned in and kissed her again but more firmly, he placed his hand on the back of her head and tilted his to deepen the kiss. Once they broke the kiss, due to lack of air, he nodded with a smile. “Goodnight Amami-kun.”

She entered her room, feeling light-headed when she closed the door behind her. Placing her head against the door behind her for support. She couldn't help the smile turning into a wide grin, happiness swelling through her chest. It wasn't until a few moments later that she realized she had two sets of eyes staring at her.

“Looks like someone had a very nice evening.” Riko sat on her bed with Hyuga next to her. A sly smirk becoming more smug when she noticed the girl's expression.

“Was that Kagami you were talking to in front of the door?” Hyuga asked, looking between the two girls and becoming more confused by the second.

“Looks like our ace finally managed to make his move.” Riko looked like the cat that swallowed the canary.

Amami was at a loss of words for the second time tonight. She couldn't help but giggle like your average schoolgirl when she made her way towards her bed.

“That idiot, he'd better not get distracted during games, especially if it's against Shutoku.” Hyuga sighed, but smiled as he saw the girl being over the moon. He stood up and made his way outside to give the girls some privacy.

Riko quickly joined him at the door to kiss him goodnight. When Hyuga left their room, Riko turned her full attention towards her roommate, intent on hearing every detail about her evening with Kagami.

“-- And then we said goodnight and I entered the room.” Amami had more or less given in to the coach and told her in big lines what had happened earlier. She felt giddy throughout the entire explanation but felt she didn't have to tell the girl everything.

“Well, I'm happy for the two of you and if he gets too distracted because of you, I'll simply triple his practice. We all know he can be a big idiot at times..” Riko already started to plan evil punishments for possible scenarios.

“So.. you and Hyuga-san..huh?” Amami quickly interrupted the girl's evil plans in her mind by focusing on Seirin's captain.

Both girls continued their girly talk until they realized it was getting way beyond bedtime and decided to call it a night.

**************

Next morning both teams were having breakfast like they would every morning.. in complete chaos. The only big difference was that two of the group were grinning like idiots, sneaking glances at each other.

Amami heard a sharp intake of breath on her left side, realizing it was Takao that was sitting next to her and his keen sense of observation. Before he could even open his mouth Amami's reflexes jumped in and slapped the raven-haired teen's mouth shut with her hand. This had caused several of their teammates to look towards their direction.

“I'll explain when we're alone.” She whispered to her friend.

Takao kept shifting his eyes between their table and Seirin's, not only were the two sneaking peeks, it seemed the majority of the cafeteria felt like something was going on. Takao already had a hunch on what was going on but felt like his friend would tell him everything when she'll have a chance to. 

When breakfast slowly ended Amami made her way to the kitchen, ready to tackle the mountain of dishes waiting to be cleaned. It was then that the doors of the kitchen opened and bursts of catcalls and whistles could be heard from the other side.

“Those guys..” Kagami muttered halfheartedly while shutting the door behind him. His gaze now landing on a giggling Amami. “Good morning, Amami-kun.” He nervously walked towards her and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. His cheeks so red it seemed they would catch a fire any moment.

She returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck to steady her wobbling while standing on her toes. “Good morning Kagami-kun.”

He gingerly placed his hands on her waist and helped her with her balance. It's then that they heard some guys yelling just outside.

“Shiiin-chaaan, don't go into the kitchen!” 

“What are you talking about, I need to put my dishes in the kitchen, nanodayo!”

“But you can't right now! W-Wait, I'll do it, don't-..!”

“TAKAO, let me go! I can do this myself.”

The door opened and Midorima entered the kitchen. Annoyance and confusion worn as his expression while Takao clung onto the larger male's neck, having lost in strength. Shutoku's ace stopped looking at Takao, giving up on his weird ways of thinking and landed his gaze on the two still holding each other. His eyes only widened for a fraction of a second before he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Congratulations.” He muttered almost incomprehensibly and quickly placed his dishes in the sink with a loud clatter. “Come on, Takao, we'll be late.” Midorima power-walked his way out of the kitchen, feeling enough embarrassment for today.

“Seo-chan, I tried my best to keep him from runnin' into ya guys.” He apologized but let out a chuckle when he saw his best friend shuffling awkwardly next to Kagami, their hug having ended with Midorima's dramatic exit. “I'm happy for you two, I'll see you guys later!” He skipped his way out of the kitchen from sheer joy.

“That was.. interesting..” Amami let out a shaky laugh.

“Your friends are weirdo's.”

That statement earned him a soft slap on his shoulder from her. “Go before your coach triples your practice for being late.”

He quickly placed a kiss on her lips before running out of the kitchen, joining his team for practice on the beach.

**************

The rest of the week had gone by in a similar way, the two teams quickly learned of the new couple and simply continued. Whenever the two had time they would spent it together, quickly overcoming the shy and nervous feelings. Takao had quietly walked up to Kagami when they were alone, told him that he was very happy for his friend but he'd better not do anything bad to her. Takao saw Amami as his sister, even though they both had their own siblings to begin with. They were childhood friends however and with that, naturally, comes deep affection and care. Midorima simply warned the red-head that his relationship better not interfere with their basketball. As for Seirin, well they were happy for the two, still surprised that their ace actually cared for something else than basketball and food.

When the camp had ended they all shuffled on the bus, taking their seats. Amami sat next to Kagami, which made Takao sit next to Midorima, to the latter's frustration. The ride had been pretty quiet, most of the teens falling asleep on the ride home after their harsh week of training. Amami had fallen asleep on Kagami's shoulder when he had wrapped his arm around hers. Not long after, Kagami had joined her in dreamland.

The rest of their school year had gone by with Kaijo winning the Inter High with the overwhelming and still unstoppable Kise's Perfect Copy at that point. Touou won the Winter Cup, their ace finally accepting team play, making them an overwhelming force. The rest of the 'miracle teams' naturally filled in the next five places. As brutal as it may seem, it was sadly the truth that other schools simply didn't stand a chance to get closer than seventh place in the tournaments because of said prodigies.


	8. Chapter 8

Amami rubbed the sleep away from her eyes when a beam of sunlight woke her up. After two minutes of trashing around in her bed in search for her phone, yes she had fallen asleep while texting her boyfriend again, she finally found the elusive device. The bright light burned her eyes when she tried to check the time. “Hmmm, seven thirty.. I should probably get up and get my rear in gear.” 

Her phone also indicated that it was the seventh of July, which meant it was Midorima's birthday. In order to celebrate the shooting guard's birthday, they had decided to all meet up in the park and play basketball together. The entire rainbow squad and other friends were all going to come by, celebrating the second member of their Miracle team to have become eighteen. 

The teens were now in their third year of high school, on the precipice of making important decisions that would influence their future.

Amami grabbed the keys of her trusty moped, grabbed the big bag full of food and made her way towards the park.

**************

“I want to be the first! Hurry up Aomine-cchi!” Kise whined loudly as he entered the park together with Momoi and Aomine.

“Hah? If you want to run, then go for it, you idiot.” A yawn interrupted Aomine's scowl, lagging behind the two energetic friends.

“Come on Dai-chan, it's Midori-kun's birthday, we can't be late!” Momoi started to pull him in order to walk faster to no avail. The tanned teen was too stubborn and lazy.

“Calm down, both of you, it's not like he'll run away or something..” Aomine did his best to tolerate his friends' enthusiasm this early in the morning.

“Oh! But I wanted to be the first to congratulate him, since I'm the oldest and now he joins me into adulthood-ssu!” Kise started to stomp the ground, wearing a pout.

“Why don't you act like it then?” Aomine slapped Kise up the head, hoping that'd calm him down somewhat.

“So mean!” Kise whined even louder as he rubbed the sore spot.

“Ah, we're the last ones, everyone is already here!” Momoi exclaimed, she started to wave her hand in the air, garnering her the attention of the group that was already on the basketball-court. “Midoriiii--”

“MIDORIMA-CCHI~!” Kise sprinted towards the green-haired teen, ignoring everyone else, before glomping on said male. “I wanted to be the first of us, but we had to drag Aomine-cchi out of his bed.. and now we're late-ssu! Happy birthday!”

Midorima never was a fan of receiving so much attention, nor was he a fan of Kise's bubbly personality. It's safe to say it took the man quite a bit to remain calm and thank the blonde. “Thank you, Kise.”

“Oi, happy birthday old fart, next time have your party at a more reasonable hour.” Aomine walked up to the man, placing his hand on the birthday boy's shoulder.

Murasakibara looked around after the group greeted the rest and were now getting ready for the game. “Are we starting the game then~?” He lazily drawled while he was chewing on some potato chips.

“Patience, Murasakibara, we still need to decide on our teams anyway.” Akashi calmly explained to the giant next to him, a small smile curving his lips.

Kuroko smiled faintly at the giants eagerness to start. Slowly, but surely they each started to change in a good way after their first year in high school. Even though they didn't have many chances like today, to all gather up and spend time together, they were becoming close once more. Well, everywhere except for on the court, that place was still a war zone to all of them.

“Nope! We're still one person short, Seo-chan said she was on her way though.” Takao peeked out from behind Midorima, holding his phone up.

“Hah? Who the hell is that?” Aomine scowled, his pinky deeply digging in his ear.

“Eh? Oh right, you haven't spoken to each other yet. Well Seo-chan is our manager, our friend and Kagami's girlfriend.” Takao pointed towards Kagami who had been stretching his limbs while sitting on the ground.

“Hm?” He perked up at the mention of his name.

“What? Bakagami has a girlfriend now? How the hell did that happen?” Aomine started to laugh when his taunt, per usual, was successful.

“Is that such a weird thing, Ahomi--” Kagami's booming voice got interrupted by a sudden screech of tires in the background.

“There she is!” Takao exclaimed giddy, already moving towards where the sound came from.

Most of the group stood there in awe, not really sure what to expect of this mystery person. They looked at Midorima who just stood there sighing.

“Sorry I'm late Mido-kun, there was an accident on the way here.. Happy birthday!” She jumped on the man, wrapping her arms around his neck, dangling in the air.

“Amami.. t-thank you..” Midorima stopped himself from lecturing her on private space and simply nodded with a small smile instead.

“Good morning Amami.” Kagami hugged his girlfriend from behind, placing a soft kiss on her neck when Amami released the other.

“Good morning, Kaga--” She smiled at her boyfriend until they got interrupted.

“Get a room you two!” Kise called out towards the two.

“Kise, don't be so rude please.” Kuroko jabbed the blonde's ribs with his hands, successfully quieting the model down.

They quickly introduced her to the rest, so they could get the game started. They had split up in two teams of four. Midorima, Takao, Aomine and Murasakibara against Kagami, Kuroko, Kise and Akashi. The two girls decided to sit on the bench and catch up, it had been a while since last they spoke. Nigou had crawled underneath the bench, having found shade and a view on the game.

Amami stood up and rifled through the enormous bag that she had brought from home, holding a bowl up in the air in triumph. She placed it next to the bench in the shade and poured some water in it. “Here you go buddy..” She petted the dog who was now wagging his tail and barked in gratitude.

“You've certainly come prepared.” Momoi smiled at Amami who was now pillaging the ice-box Kagami had brought.

“I figured the boys would want some snacks and refreshments, considering the warmth and the amount of exercise they'll have today. So I put Kagami in charge of the beverages while I tackled the food.” Amami simply shrugged, it was common sense after all that they would get hungry and thirsty at some point through the day, so why not be prepared for that?

“You sure know how to take care of everything, maybe I should hire you to babysit Dai-chan.” Momoi looked as if she was seriously considering it. 

“Erh, I'm sure Aomine-san can take care of himself, but thanks for the compliment.” She smiled awkwardly. 'Surely that guy can't be that bad, right? I've heard he was an idiot from both Kagami and Mido-kun, even so..' She eyed the blue-haired boy with scrutiny.

“What's that you got there.. a snow-globe?” Momoi pointed towards the snow-globe on the bench next to Amami.

“Oh, this is Mido-kun's lucky item for today, I think.” She picked the globe up and shook it, the toy snow slowly swirling around in the water.

“Amami, put that back down.” Midorima huffed out suddenly, not even looking towards the bench when he made a three-pointer thanks to Aomine successfully blocking Kagami.

“Yes sir, ace-sama SIR!” She stiffly saluted her friend after she placed the toy back in its rightful place.

“Some things will never change, though Midori-kun seems to have mellowed down a lot in the past two years. He actually is smiling now and then and he seems to tolerate a lot more.” Momoi fondly smiled at the man.

“I'm sure Kazu-chan would be very proud to hear that, that guy's been chipping away at Mido-kun's cold front since the beginning of our first year.” She pointed to Takao who, at the same moment passed the ball towards Aomine behind his back. “Nice pass Kazu-chan!” She quickly cheered for her friend.

“Oi, shouldn't you be cheering for me?!” Kagami exclaimed before being passed by his rival, the latter took that small gap as an opportunity to dunk the ball in the ring.

“You can't afford to talk to your girl when playing me, idiot.” Aomine smirked at the red-head.

“Do your best, sweetie!” Amami teased her boyfriend, sticking her tongue out.

The game had gone in a similar fashion until they took a ten minute break, making sure to keep hydrated. Amami took her boyfriends towel and started to ruffle his hair with it, drying off the sweat. Kagami was actually moping because his team was behind with four points at the moment. The cheers from Amami mainly going towards her fellow Shutoku students didn't help either.

“You're pouting.” Amami poked his ribs with her finger, surprised to find her boyfriend in such a way.

“..Am not..” He looked to his side in embarrassment. “Why don't you cheer for me..?” A blush crept on his cheeks as he was staring at his own feet.

“Are you pouting over something like that? That's not the tough ace I know. I'm pretty sure you'll be showing them who's boss in second half.” She smirked at her boyfriend and his childish behavior. She simply knew that being behind on points is enough fuel for him to break loose sooner or later, especially if it's against his rival, Aomine.

“You bet!” Determination written on his face, he grinned at her before pecking her on the lips. “Oi Ahomine let's do this already!” He stormed off towards the others.

“Hah? It's still break you idiot, get something to drink and go back to your own team!” Both of them started to bicker, grabbing the collar of each others shirt and sending glares.

It's when Kagami moved back towards his own team that Nigou, caught with the burst of excitement, jumped from underneath the bench and followed after Kagami. The sudden movement had enough force to nudge the bench somewhat, and before anyone could react the damage was already done. The sound of glass breaking on concrete resounded throughout the basketball court.

“My lucky item!” Midorima ran towards the snow-globe, now shattered on the ground. He groaned loudly in annoyance as he pointed towards the dog, threatening to throw him through the ring.

“Please don't do that Midorima-kun, he'll get stuck in the net.” Kuroko appeared from thin air next to Midorima, his unblinking gaze pointed at the birthday boy. The dog meanwhile lowered his head and let out an apologetic whine.

“Now now Shin-chan, I'm sure you still got your reserve in your bag as usual. The dog didn't mean to break it.” Takao tried to console his teammate who was now contemplating whether or not to touch broken glass pieces. His lucky item broken _and_ having to deal with shards of broken glass, this was simply a disaster waiting to happen for the superstitious man.

“I don't have a reserve. I simply have to go home or buy another one!” He huffed in annoyance. His face grim at the thought of bad luck vibes closing in on him.

“Here, let me clean this up, we don't want you to get more bad luck, huh?” Amami swiftly moved in to pick up the broken pieces of glass and what's left of the toy. She winked at her ace, motioning to stand back.

“It would indeed be ill-advised for me to touch those, nanodayo.” He nodded thankfully towards the girl cleaning up the mini disaster. “Thank you for coming, I'll be making my leave now.” He stood up and started to make his way towards his bag behind the bench.

“Shiiin-chaaan! You can't just leave, we're all here to celebrate your birthday! Akashi-san came from Kyoto and Murasakibara-san from Akita, don't let their effort be in vain!” Takao clung onto Midorima's arm, preventing him from walking away.

Amami simply raised her eyebrow in surprise when she heard Takao address the two non-Tokyoite in such a polite fashion, but remained quiet while disposing of the, what once was a pretty, snow-globe. She knew Midorima for quite a while and got pretty familiar with his Oha-Asa obsession to know that the man wouldn't budge.

“Shin-chan.. please stay?” Takao wore a forlorn look when the man didn't stop.

Midorima halted when he heard Takao's defeated voice, his face revealing the inner turmoil that was going on inside his head. He glanced at the rest of the group who all wore worried looks. “Fine, I'll just have to be extra safe, you all went out of your way to visit me, nanodayo.” Insecurity flickered through his dark green eyes but somehow he couldn't just leave his friends behind. Especially after hearing his teammates' uncharacteristic sad voice.

“Mido-chin can have my bag of gummy bears~” Murasakibara drawled while reluctantly holding out a family pack of said candy.

“That bag is too big, it'll take me a month to eat its content.” Midorima closed his eyes while deeply breathing in air through his nose haughtily.

“Aw Shin-chan, you can just share it with the rest of us then!” Takao let out his signature giggle, halting Midorima's tsundereness instantly.

“Fine! Don't complain if you get sick.”

“Aaah, I'll grab a handful then~” Murasakibara inched closer towards the bag with his giant hands open before he got blocked by three bodies digging their hands in the bag.

Kagami, Aomine and Kise were now bickering while shoving each other out of the way as they intended to grab as much gummy bears as they could before the purple-haired giant would reclaim his snack. Kuroko walked up to Momoi and placed a handful of gummy bears into her palm, having used his low presence to quickly steal as much as he could before the rest would pounce the bag. A soft pink dusted her cheeks as she hugged him tightly, giving him her thanks.

The ten minutes had run out and before you know it they started to play once more. Midorima's paranoia for bad luck had gotten the best of him which left him in a weaker state, that the other team gladly took. With the girls cheering for both teams it had become a very close game, but with Kagami's team leading. It's when the timer indicated that the game was down to the last three minutes that Takao passed the ball towards Midorima who was already in the air waiting for their signature Pass and Shoot maneuver. It didn't go down like it should have, the ball flew to an entire other direction than the ring. It was then that a few sets of eyes landed on Midorima who was now clutching his right hand to his chest. Pain and fear across his face as he was gritting his teeth, barely restraining a loud cry that had wanted to escape his lips.

“Shin-chan?!” Takao, in the blink of an eye, ran up to him. Panic set in on his face as the taller man was in clear pain.

“My hand... hurts..?” He looked down to Takao, fear marring his usual neutral face.

The rest of the group had started to gather around the two of them to see what was wrong with him when Amami started to shove them aside to pass through. When she reached her friend she had a freezer block from her cooler box wrapped in a towel.

“How bad is it? Where does it hurt? Do you need ice on it?” She attacked the man with a flurry of questions as she gently tried to pry the hand away from his chest.

At the sight of the self-made ice pack he showed his hand towards the girl. One finger was clearly swelling up while it slowly gained a tint of purple. “I think it's bruised..” He faintly uttered the words. His lips set in a firm thin line.

Injuries happen a lot during basketball games, most of them are small and need some rest. Some are a bit more worrisome, especially if the part of the body being injured is a vital part to play the game. Needless to say that Shutoku's ace's mind was swarming with worries about his future in basketball due to the injury. Amami instantly picked up on his fear and tried to calm him down while gently pressing the ice pack against the finger.

“It doesn't look that bad, but let's quickly go to the hospital to make sure, okay?” She looked up to the man while trying to remain calm herself. She cared a lot for her friend and knew how much the sport meant to him. If things would end up badly, she'd know it wouldn't only hurt him physically. When she realized that it was now she who was over-thinking things, she breathed in deeply and gathered her thoughts. “Let's go, I got an extra helmet, we can quickly visit a doctor.” She motioned towards her parked moped further away.

“H-Hang on, Amami-cchi, are you sure that's a good idea?” Kise panicked, remembering the girl to be a hazard on the road.

Midorima's body entirely tensed up at the prospect of having to sit on the deathtrap. “We could just walk, Amami..”

“What are you guys talking about, I've never been in an accident, I'll have you know I'm a great driver!” She scowled deeply at both teens who were questioning her abilities of driving.

“Haah? Weren't you in an accident before arriving, this morning?” Aomine raised one eyebrow in confusion.

“I didn't say that Ahomine! I said there was an accident but I wasn't involved in it!” Amami spat out uncharacteristically towards the other.

Aomine's eyes narrowed at the insult she'd thrown him but shrugged it off, muttering to himself and casting accusing looks at Kagami, knowing that insult came from him. “You been teaching your girl that word, Bakagami?”

When the aces started to bicker for the umpteenth time today Amami decided to lead the injured man off the court. “Mido-kun, it's your choice, all I'm saying is that it's faster if we use my bike.”

“Come on Shin-chan, it'll be fine, her driving doesn't look like it, but she's a responsible driver.” Takao nodded with conviction.

Amami rolled her eyes at the insulting behavior of most of them. “Gee, thanks Kazu-chan..”

Eventually Midorima decided to take his chances and hop on the back of the moped. It didn't take long for his reluctance to 'hold on to her', shifted in a death grip around her, while minding his right hand. 

After twenty minutes of what seemed to be a hellish, but actually safe, ride they arrived at the hospital. She nursed his hand while they were waiting in the waiting room with the little knowledge she had about said injury which simply had been: keep ice on it to refrain it from swelling. Her hand rubbing his back in smooth circles, surprisingly effective since the man had calmed down thinking it probably wasn't as bad as it seemed. 'Men are always overreacting to pain..' She thought bemusedly. 

All in all it didn't take long for the doctor to see him. After enough examination and a scan, just in case, he simply had told the two teens that it indeed was nothing bad of the sort. It would take around five weeks for it to properly heal up on its own before he would be back as new. 

“Frequently place ice on it, rest and elevate it to help the blood flow better.” The doctor had advised him. He had placed a finger splint on it, just to be safe. 

Meanwhile Amami had contacted Takao, who she was sure was having a minor breakdown for being worried about his teammate, to tell him the good news. The raven-haired teen could finally breathe normally again and was happy things didn't turn out as bad as he was dreading. 

Their friends had all moved to Kagami's apartment and decided to wait for the news together, it wasn't really a party if the person in question wasn't there anyway. And because Kagami's place was the only one big enough and no family there to impose on, they had decided to stay there. Midorima decided to go to his friends before heading home, wanting to thank them for sticking around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year everyone! Hope everyone has been enjoying their holidays. Thank you for all the kudos, it makes me very happy to see that people enjoy reading this story.
> 
> Warning for next update: it'll contain mature content, so with that the rating will be raised to mature.
> 
> Enjoy the remainder of the holidays and I'll see you again next Tuesday!


	9. Chapter 9

The sun was slowly setting when they finally arrived at Kagami's apartment. Amami rang the doorbell with Midorima next to her. The boy, now holding his hand up to follow the doctor's advice, seemed to have become paler than usual.

“Come in you two, some of us will be hap-” Kagami started after he opened the door to let them in.

“SHIIIN-CHAAN! What did they say? Is your finger goin' to be ok? I don't wanna play without you!” Takao sprinted towards his teammate, his eyes watery.

“I'm fine and you knew that, Amami had already told you, nanodayo!” Midorima huffed in annoyance at the hysteric Takao.

“I know.. I was..just scared ya'know?” Takao pouted while he helped his friend out of his jacket and shoes, the other not objecting his offered help.

Amami meanwhile walked into the living room, finding the colorful bunch all sitting together on several couches and chairs around the tv. “Our birthday boy is going to be fine, he only needs to rest his hand for five weeks, then he'll be whooping your asses once more.” The moment she told the group the news, her stomach growled. Neither her or Midorima had anything to eat when they were at the hospital.

“Someone's hungry..” Kagami teased while hugging his girlfriend from behind, his mouth close to her ear.

“I am, do we got any left-overs from earlier?” She leaned into his chest and placed her hands on his.

“No, but I'm cooking dinner at the moment, thought I'd feed these bastards since they invited themselves over.” He pointed his accusing eyes towards the others.

“I love Kagami-kun's cooking and it was Takao-kun's idea.” Kuroko dryly answered, dismissing the accusation.

Kagami had an open kitchen that looked down the living room so he could continue cooking while joining their conversations.

“Midorima-cchi, I was so worried that you would die in an accident-ssu!”

“Not this again...!” Amami groaned out at Kise.

“He does seem paler than normally.” Akashi stated with a subtle hint of mirth in his eyes.

“I don't want to talk about it.” Midorima's horrified expression could only convey a smidgen of fear he had felt during the ride.

“Hahaha, I can just imagine Midorima holding on to her for dear life, shitting his pants!” Aomine guffawed at the image.

“Language, Aomine.” Akashi glared at the tanned man but got a halfhearted shrug for response.

“Oi.. he is clearly fine! It's normal for people to be scared for the first time.” Amami defended herself, remembering how scared she was when she tried it for the first time.

“Uhu.. like it's also normal for a moped to be swaying so much..” Momoi had hopped on the mocking train, squashing the hope that at least _she_ would back Amami up on this one as a fellow woman.

“You know what, laugh it up guys. I have faith in my own driving skills and I'll think of you guys, squished together with strangers on the train when I'm cruising freely on my moped.” She crossed her arms but somehow felt a bit victorious.

“Don't they require a driver's license, how come Mami-chin is driving one? I want one too, walking is such a pain~” Murasakibara lazily asked before shoving a handful of candy in his mouth. This had earned him a cold glare from the girl.

“You guys are just too scared. That's it! Jealous and scared, right Kagami?” She exclaimed as she turned around to her boyfriend slaving away in the kitchen.

“Did you expect anything else?” He taunted the group after a small hesitation, not wanting to admit that her driving skills had scared himself before as well. Also the chance to pester the intruders sounded very appealing to him.

“Oi, I am _not_ scared of a fucking moped. How fast do they even go? Fifty km/h?” Aomine bristled, baited by the couple's taunt.

“Thirty.. You guys are scared of going at thirty km/h.. I'll let that sink in for a moment.” She smugly sipped from her green tea.

Before Akashi could comment that it wasn't the speed that scared them, but her driving abilities Aomine had jumped up. 

“Give me the keys! I'll show you who's scared.” The blue-haired teen demanded, feeling the need to prove his manliness as he shoved his hand out, demanding the keys in his open palm.

“I will _not_ let you lay a finger on Mopi! But you are more than welcome to be my passenger!” Amami jumped up as well to meet the tall teen head-on. Thankfully they were being kept at a safe distance due to the coffee table standing between them.

“Don't do it Amami-cchi, he would feel you up-ssu! He's a pervert and wants to steal you away from Kagami-cchi!” Kise whined at a high pitch.

“Oi, don't lie Ki--” Aomine started.

“I'd like to see him try!” Both Kagami and Amami yelled heatedly at the same time.

“Amami, please stop challenging that idiot.” Kagami pleaded his girlfriend, not realizing he was as guilty as his girlfriend when it came down to challenging the bluenette. The image of Aomine grabbing Amami's waist while driving around had upset him however, so he couldn't help it.

That had made Amami calm down, she sat back down in her spot, muttering most likely some ill-wishing curses while glaring at Aomine.

“And I thought it was Amami-cchi who had to tame the tiger..” Kise innocently uttered after seeing the scene. This had earned him a wooden spoon thrown at his head from the kitchen.

“Can it, pretty boy.” Kagami glared at the model, but was relieved that the comment didn't rile Amami further. The usually calm and collected girl could be quite scary when she got angry.

When dinner was ready they could choose between Kagami's curry or Takao's red bean soup. Takao had wanted to make Midorima's favorite dish, with the help of Kagami, to cheer his friend up for when he returned. Kagami simply made a curry dish, because 'who could eat red bean soup during summer anyway?'. They had all started to eat while talking about anything under the sun, ..but mostly basketball. The atmosphere was now relaxed and friendly, especially since Takao had gone outside during the day to buy another snow-globe for Midorima, which was now standing in the middle of the table, well away from the edge and Nigou. 

When dinner was done they decided to let Aomine and Murasakibara do the dishes, since everyone had been working hard today except for them. They didn't dare to tell Akashi to do such menial task, he may have changed but he could still be scary when he wanted to. Not long after that, people slowly started to leave when they saw what time it was. Only Amami had remained, pouting, since Midorima didn't accept her offer to take him home. _“I'd rather not do that again.. ever.”_ Takao also seemed very eager to walk Midorima home, he hadn't left his aces' side for one moment ever since he came back from the hospital.

“What a long day..” Amami stretched her arms in the air as she sat on his couch. The apartment now quiet once the chaotic rainbow-team had taken their leave.

“Too bad we couldn't continue the game, we were so close to win it.” Kagami noted sadly.

“Mido-kun would be so glad to hear that from you, especially when he's the victim here. On his birthday too, I might add.” Amami's sarcasm glinting through. She was now perching her left elbow on the back of the couch, having turned towards her boyfriend who had settled next to her.

“He'll live.. especially with Takao smothering him.” He cheekily grinned, thinking about how the boy had made it his mission to do everything for the injured man. 

“Force-feeding doesn't count as smothering.. I'm not sure if that was for Mido-kun or for his own benefit.” Amami remembered her best friend wanting to feed his teammate. Naturally that had made the other feel immensely awkward, barking at Takao to stop whatever it was he was doing.

Both chuckled at the memory before sliding into a comfortable silence. It was fun to spend the day with the rest of their friends/rivals, but an entire day surely had become very tiresome. They both enjoyed the calm that had taken over the apartment once the others left the two lovebirds to themselves.

It wasn't the first time that Amami had come to his place, so she was somewhat familiar with the place. But her stays only lasted for a few hours before she headed back home, they had been together for almost a year but decided to take things slowly.

Amami moved around on the couch, turning so she could lay her head on Kagami's lap, her legs dangling over the arm of the couch. Sighing contently she closed her eyes, happy to be able to relax and spend a little quality time before she headed home.

Kagami gulped when he realized their position but tried to keep his mind our of the gutter. “Are you tired?” He pushed some ginger locks that were covering her eyes aside.

“A bit.. just glad I can rest a little and be alone with my boyfriend.” Her eyes opened to look up at the boy hovering above her. A mix of bashful and something else lingered in his stare. She couldn't put her finger on it, but her mouth became very dry suddenly.

“You c-could stay over.. if you'd like..erh I mean. You're tired, right? You've had a long day in the hospital.. it's already late..” Kagami stuttered, his eyes darting around the living room.

Amami's mind became a tangled mess, thoughts of not having spare clothes to a more pressing matter: their first night together. She stared for a few moments, trying to figure out what to respond.

“I've got an unused toothbrush, you could use the bathroom and I've got a futon.. But if you rather want to go home, I'd understand.” Kagami ruffled his own hair nervously. It didn't help the teenager that her head was still resting in his lap, which would make any boy of his age conscious about.. certain things.

“I'd love to, Kagami..” Amami responded, it felt like her brain had shut down and her body moved on its own. “I'll have to tell my parents that I'm not coming home though.”

“A-Ah, right, won't they.. mind?” Kagami became very nervous for all sorts of reasons now. He knew Amami came from a well-off family, so her parents would disapprove such actions instantly. Even though they had been very friendly towards him, he couldn't help but feel that he wasn't good enough for their daughter. 

“I'll.. tell them I'm staying at Kazu-chan.. We used to have lots of sleepovers when we were kids anyway.” Amami stood up and made her way towards her purse.

She called her mother and lied to her about the sleepover, telling her that she would stay over at Takao with Midorima, wanting to celebrate the latter's birthday a little bit longer. That idea seemed to be the most believable, but she texted her best friend just in case to warn him. Even though her mother wasn't as stern as her father, she was still worried about her. She might call Takao to confirm their plan. Takao had responded within the minute telling Amami that he would have her back if that would happen. He ended the text with plenty of winking emoticons and a 'Use protection!' to tease the girl.

It didn't feel right to lie to her mother, but she knew that she'd forbid her otherwise. She really wanted to stay a little bit longer with her boyfriend. They don't live that close to each other, so they only meet up during the weekends. Today had also been all about Midorima, so they were both in need for some quality time together.

**************

Kagami was sitting in his couch and even though his tv was on, he couldn't really pay it much attention. His mind kept drifting towards the bathroom which was now occupied by Amami. He had given her the smallest shirt and shorts he owned and placed a towel in the bathroom for her to use before making himself scarce. 'My girlfriend.. in my shower.. naked.. sleeping over.' He groaned out at the mere thought. 'Calm down Taiga, she's just gonna sleep here.. Noth-' His thoughts got interrupted when Amami came out of the bathroom.

“The bathroom is f-free, if you want to..” She nervously pointed over her shoulder towards the vacant bathroom. Kagami had given her his smallest set of clothes but they were still too big for her. The red shirt kept sagging down her shoulder but thankfully the black shorts had cords she could pull and tie up in a firm knot, so they'd stay in place. She had tied her long hair up in a casual ponytail.

It felt like the air was knocked out of him the moment he laid eyes on her. He never thought that a regular shirt and shorts could look so sexy on a girl. It usually wouldn't, but it were his clothes, that she was wearing.

“-gami? Kagami!” The girl blushed furiously as she was now hugging him. The red-head had, without realizing it himself, stood up and walked up towards her. Grabbing the girl tight against his chest. It was when he finally registered her calling out to him that he slightly released her.

“You're so beautiful..” He leaned in to place a firm kiss on her lips. His tongue flicked over her bottom lip while his hands started to roam over her backside. They're slowly sliding towards her firm butt, squeezing it gently.

Amami meekly blushed, sensing the heavy atmosphere around them. Not trusting her voice she remained quiet and deepened the kiss. Her tongue caressing the other's that was now slowly exploring her mouth. It's when Kagami started to squeeze her butt that she started to push her own body tightly against his, craving for more contact.

Both their hands slowly started to wander over their lover's body, the desire to feel each other only  
fueling them more. It didn't take long for Amami to slide her hand underneath his shirt, feeling the warm skin of his back under her fingertips. Feeling his muscles shift under her ministrations she couldn't help but smile in approval, happy that her boyfriend had quite the athletic body. His muscles were firm and strong but his skin made it so soft and tantalizing for her.

Kagami's hands meanwhile let his hands roam in between their bodies, taking advantage of the very small space their bodies would allow between. Up until now he only roamed over her stomach and sides, enjoying the feel of her body tensing up underneath his hands. This was the furthest they already had been, they always managed to feel each other up while still being clothed. Needless to say that having finally taken that extra step had given them enough incentive to go further.

It's then that Kagami's hand ventured upwards, underneath her shirt, craving to feel more. He slowly slid his hand over her ribs towards the supple mounds. Giving her enough time to stop him should she feel uncomfortable with it. To Kagami's relief she didn't object, she merely tensed up and tore herself away from his lips. Needing the air to breath, or gasp in her case as he was now gently massaging one breast over her bra with his hand. Their gazes locked unto each other, lust seeping in their eyes. Her mouth slightly parted as she took in small nervous pants.

To Kagami, the mere sight of his girlfriend flustered, looking up to him with slowly dilating pupils and her soft but firm breast in his palm, it was beautiful and erotic at the same time. He felt an erection slowly building up in his pants when he started to kiss her once more. 

Amami meanwhile felt her eyes close and her body melting due to the loving caresses he was giving her. She placed one hand on his bicep to keep her steady while the other roamed under his shirt over his well-defined torso. The six-pack she only saw during games when he pulled his shirt up to dry his sweat from his face, now under her palm. Her hand traveled further upwards over his broad chest, her fingertips gently pressing into the muscles.

They remained like this for a while, alternating hands, discovering more skin of the other until their lips broke once more for air. Gazing deeply into each others eyes, bashful but clearly lusting for the other. It felt like electricity was in the air and with every single touch it tingled their skin with it. 

Her body, like before, took over and ran on primal instincts when she started to pull his shirt up. She wanted to see what she had been feeling up until now, she wanted to touch him more. Every touch, every flinch, every shift of muscle made her want more.

He helped her remove his shirt quickly, giving him the opportunity to remove her shirt as well. With their upper body exposed, almost in Amami's case, they started to feverishly plant kisses on the warm skin.

Amami shuddered a small breathe, her body slightly shaking at the intensity of his attention on her. She was so nervous but didn't think for even one second to stop. She wanted this.. very much, she had been fantasizing about this plenty of times before. Wondering how it would feel like and now that they're actually there, amazed that even her wildest dreams didn't scrape the intensity of what she's feeling right now.

Kagami felt her shake softly, he paused at that, looking in her eyes. “We can stop if you don't wanna..” He had to admit to himself, he didn't want things to end right now, but if Amami would feel uncomfortable he would do so in a heartbeat. There was no rush.

“No.. please, don't stop. I'm just a little.. nervous..” She admitted bashfully, letting out a small chuckle. She felt relieved that her boyfriend would understand if it were the case. Frankly at this point she got a bit.. frustrated, that it was only her that seemed nervous about this.

“Me too..” Kagami pressed his forehead against hers, a big smile gracing his lips when a breathy chuckle escaped these.

This made Amami look up at him, relief washing over her that it was just her imagination, that she wasn't alone feeling so damn nervous. Kagami was also affected by all of this. She cupped his cheek and softly smiled at him. “I love you.. Taiga.” Before she placed a small kiss on the corner of his lips.

“I love you too, Seo.” Having heard his first name from her lips for the first time, in such an intimate manner made his heart skip a beat. It was also the first time they had used the term 'love' to each other. This little but very important moment became the catalyst of the rest of the evening.

What started out as a loving, gentle kiss soon erupted in a deep passionate one. Both becoming feverish aware of the not so hidden lust their bodies were screaming.

Kagami pushed the straps of her bra down her shoulder which made Amami move to unhook the bra, helping her boyfriend to get rid of it. She didn't cover herself up, she trusted him fully and felt the love from him making her feel wanted.

He bit back the groan that was threatening to escape his throat when he saw her now naked breasts. Kissing her passionately while both his hands hesitantly cupped her breasts, massaging them and loving the feel of them in his hands, while feeling extremely nervous at the same time. They had felt amazing before even with the bra still covering them, now it was perfect. His thumb brushed over her nipple, making her let out a small moan into his mouth. The nipple slowly standing erect, giving Kagami more incentive to circle his thumb around and over it, experimenting to find what she seemed to like. The sounds of her partially muted moans were driving him crazy, making his erection stand at full force, pushing painfully against the clothing he was still wearing. “Go to my room?” His lust-filled gaze connected with hers as he asked her, not wanting to stand in the middle of his living room anymore.

She nodded as she let out a chuckle, realizing they were still standing at the same spot she was when she left the bathroom. “Yes please..” She followed him as he was holding her hand, leading her into his bedroom.

The bedroom was just like the rest of his home, neat and the bare essentials. An almost empty desk that only contained some basketball magazines, a closet and a one-person bed.

Kagami started to unbutton his pants, letting them drop on the ground before sitting on the side of his bed. His erection slightly relieved from the removed layer pressing into it. He motioned for her to come closer and when she did he slowly started to place butterfly kisses on her stomach, earning him a soft giggle from her. Successfully distracting his girlfriend who seemed to have tensed up when they entered his bedroom. He tugged the knot of the cord of her, technically his, shorts and made the garment join his pants.

Both down to their underwear they started to let their hands roam once more, lust gradually taking over both bodies like before. It didn't take long for Kagami to softly push Amami on his bed and hover over her in between her legs. Both their eyes blown with lust while passionately making out.

It was then that Amami gathered her courage and let her hand roam over his boxer, caressing his erection. Her palm running over the shaft slowly while taking in the various expressions Kagami was showing her. 

Kagami's eyes clenched shut as he suddenly felt her hand over his stiff member. It took him everything not to buck his hips into her hand, craving for more friction. The sensation driving him mad when she started to experiment with the speed and friction on him. “S-Stop..aahn..” He pleaded even though his body was screaming not to end it. He didn't want to fuck this up, no matter the pleasure he was receiving right now.

Amami immediately stopped and removed her hand, her eyes widening slightly before looking nervous to her side. “Sorry..” She felt so vulnerable in this moment, she wasn't experienced at all when it came down to this. Afraid she did something wrong she looked apologetically towards him.

“No! N-No, I didn't mean.. it felt great.. amazing even. I don't think I would've lasted much longer..” He bit his bottom lip looking at the pillow behind Amami's head, feeling embarrassed. He looked into her eyes which were now lovingly staring back at him, making him feel determined. “I want to..” He didn't finish his sentence and decided to let his actions speak for themselves. His hand wandered lower between their bodies, till he found the edge of her underwear. He dipped his hand in, slowly cupping her womanhood. He let out a small groan when he felt how wet she already was, making his erection twitch in anticipation. He slid one finger further, letting it softly glide between her folds. Her wetness making it easy for him to experiment his strokes, memorizing every single gasp and moan linked to his movement. Eagerly drinking in her slightly knitted brows, her lips a little parted, letting those small moans roll over them. He slowly let one digit slide inside her partially, knowing she's as much as a virgin as he was. Carefully pushing in and out while going slightly deeper with each thrust before letting another finger join in, slowly letting her adjust. His thumb ran circles over her clit, making random patterns over it to enhance the pleasure which had her gradually moaning louder.

“T-Taiga.. please.. more, I want.. more..” She pleaded her boyfriend, feeling the muscles in her lower abdomen clench in sheer pleasure. She looked up at the man with pure want when her hips involuntary bucked up against his hand, making her moan deeply.

Kagami quickly dug through a drawer of his nightstand, finding an unopened box of condoms. He made quick work of tearing the box open and grabbed one. Holding the condom between his lips he nervously shimmied out of his boxers before kicking them off the bed. Noticing Amami had just done the same to her own underwear, they were now both fully naked. Kagami glanced over her exposed body making him fumble while opening the wrapper and started to fiddle with the rubber.

Amami noticed the sudden nervousness and decided to calm him down by placing her hand on his knee. Sitting up she placed her hand over his that held the condom, letting the condom slide over his length. She kissed his lips before lying back down, untying her ponytail quickly, letting her hair fan his pillow. If her body was shaking, her face wouldn't have shown it, wanting to calm her boyfriend just as much as he'd been calming her.

“Ready?” Kagami looked up, checking for any last objection from his girlfriend. He placed the tip at her entrance, awaiting her response.

Amami bit her lip nervously but smiled and nodded, having full trust in her boyfriend.

He braced himself while he slowly pushed his tip inside her. Keeping his eyes intently on her, scared to hurt her or make her feel uncomfortable. He raised her hips slightly to grant him easier access while he continued to push in until he hit a soft wall inside.

Amami tensed up in discomfort when his tip reached that wall. A burning sensation that felt like it was ripping her insides went through her. She squeezed his bicep to search for comfort.

Kagami who was now clenching the sheets besides her, had to struggle to refrain from pushing further in. Noticing his girlfriend was undergoing clear pain and distress, the mere sight making him worry for her. He never wanted to cause his girlfriend any pain. “Wanna stop?” He patiently waited, not moving a muscle.

“No, please, k-keep going, ...quick pain perhaps?” She wasn't sure if what she was asking for was such a good idea or not, but experience had taught her that quick pain was usually better than the long road. She braced herself, preparing herself for what was about to happen, having found comfort in his loving gaze.

He understood and nodded, quickly placing his lips on hers as he moved in fully. When he did he once more stopped, hearing her cry out in pain. He started to comb through her long ginger hair with his fingers, trying to soothe her. Kissing the tears in the corners of her eyes away and uttering loving words to her.

It took Amami several moments to come down from the surge of pain that just wracked over her body. Now being successfully comforted by Kagami she started to relax, the pain slowly subsiding when she started to get used to the intrusion. “It's okay now, you can move I think.” She whispered, a small smile gracing her lips, showing him that she's alright.

With her consent he started to pull out slowly before going back in, testing the waters. When she didn't seem to show any sign of pain he slowly picked up the pace and went a bit further out and in. After several strokes he became aware of her soft moans and the occasional tightening on his member. “Hmm.. Seo.. so tight..” He marveled at the pleasure it was giving him, having a harder time to keep himself from rutting into her.

It was then after a few eager thrusts of Kagami that he slipped out of her, too caught up with the friction. He nervously muttered some curses as he quickly tried to line himself up with her before sliding in the tight heat once more.

Amami slowly shifted her legs around his waist and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer towards her. She lightly chuckled at the little unexpected mishap, reassuring the boy above him. Lewd moans escaped her throat when she felt his thickness push inside her in all the right ways. Each thrust becoming more forceful and faster than the previous one. The sensation of him filling her up with every single thrust, pushed her once more into sheer bliss, the pain long forgotten. She dug her nails into his back as she felt the coil inside her lower abdomen tightening dangerously. “Taigaaa~” She moaned his name, indicating she was oh so close to her sweet release.

Hearing her moan his name made him lose control and start to rut into her at a fast pace. Punctuating every thrust when he felt his own release starting to well up. “Seo.. I'm.. I.. aahg.. gonna..cum.” He groaned out, drops of sweat rolling down his body of the exertion.

And with that they both tumbled towards their own release, leaving them both gasping for air. Her legs shaking from the pleasure while her skin felt oversensitive. They both were panting deeply, enjoying the rush of pleasure slowly subsiding, their bodies recovering.

When Kagami had enough strength he withdrew himself out of her, making quick work to dispose the used condom. A nice three-pointer into the bin next to his desk, I might add. They both were lying next to each other, snuggling against the other, feeling utterly spent but very happy. Even when they messed up or nervously fumbled, it still had felt perfect to both of them. It was their first time and they were sure that practice makes perfect.

“I love you.” She sleepily kissed him on the lips, craning her neck as they were now spooning.

“I love you too.” He hugged her tightly against his chest placing a quick kiss on her hair before they both drifted off to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

The buzzer indicated the end of the game. It was now winter and the last game of their high school years had just ended. The winner of the Winter Cup was Shutoku, winning with 109-107 against Seirin. The last point had been very close when Kagami seemed to have fully blocked Midorima, but the shooting guard had learnt from past mistakes. He had let Kagami jump on purpose and made a pass towards Takao who instantly passed the ball back towards Midorima at his second location enabling a successful three-pointer behind Kagami. Seirin's ace wasn't fast enough to keep up and Kuroko was taken by surprise by the quick pace of the duo's pass.

Shutoku's bench roared in pure victory, celebrating their long-awaited win. Tears were flowing on the court, the bench and the ever so loyal Shutoku supporters section in the audience. Amami had jumped in her coach's arms, overwhelmed by a mix of feelings. Joy, happiness, relief, pride but also sadness. This was their last tournament together in high school, being their last year, soon they would leave for university or college.

Amami thought back on the past three years. How she became so engrossed with the very same sport she didn't care for before she entered Shutoku High. She thought of all the members they had since the beginning, remembering how each and every single one of them had worked so hard to become the best. She was happy to have been a part of this, to have watched her team grow from the sidelines, cheering them on 'till this very moment. Tears started to roll down her cheeks when both teams lined up for the last time. 

She ran up towards her team to congratulate them, hugging her best friend who seemed to have landed in a stupor. Completely speechless for.. maybe the first time in his life, trying to wrap his mind around what was going on. She decided to let the team go crazy and turned towards Seirin. Sadness clearly hanging in the air for having lost the game, but had enough pride and respect for the other team. She hugged her boyfriend and showed her how proud she was of him, that he had played amazing as always. She couldn't of course help herself when she threw in a small victory dance for her team. Which had earned her a soft 'Shut up.' from him before kissing her.

Time flew by with all the third years studying for exams, preparing themselves for the next step in their lives. They all had applied to the university/college they had wanted to go. Midorima went for med-school, Amami and Akashi went for the university of Tokyo to study Business and Economics. Takao, Kagami, Kuroko, Aomine and Momoi all applied for the same college in Tokyo, Kise went to Osaka for college and Murasakibara applied for college somewhere in Akita. Takao chose to study for software engineer; Kuroko chose to study for teacher; Aomine went for history since that was the only subject he was good in and Momoi and Kagami both opted to study for sports-therapist., Kise, Murasakibara, Aomine and Kagami still aimed to become a basketball-player first however. Kise also aimed to further his modeling career and to no one's surprise Murasakibara had entered a cooking school to become a pastry chef.

They all got accepted and thus made their own preparations for college/university. Most of them would continue their basketball career while some decided to stop and focus on their studies, like Midorima and Akashi.

Wanting to live closer to their respective schools and to have a taste of freedom they had decided to move out from their parents' place. It wasn't hard for Midorima, Takao and Amami to decide that they would rent an apartment together. They had become so close over the past few years that it seemed like the right thing to do. Splitting the costs in three was also a good way of saving their money. They weren't the only ones who thought of that idea: Momoi, Aomine and Kuroko decided to do the same. Murasakibara of course stayed in Akita and Kise moved out to Osaka while Akashi moved to Tokyo to one of his father's apartments. Kagami was the only one who didn't move. His apartment was reasonably close to his college so he decided to stay. Let's face it, who would give up on a spacious apartment all for himself? His father never managed to come back to Japan, saying things had changed too much with his work so he couldn't come to Japan to join his son.

And that is how they started their new school year.

**************

Kagami placed the last box in Amami's new room next to the others while Amami was unpacking them. It was the weekend before her first day in university so Amami decided to use the free time to move into the new apartment before the hectic university life began.

“That's the last box from the truck, do you need some help unpacking?” Kagami asked her while already rifling through some of the open boxes in her room.

“Hm? Oh! That'd be great, thank you Taiga.” She absentmindedly answered him, too engrossed with sorting her belonging and placing them where they belonged.

Kagami simply smiled and rolled his eyes at his girlfriend, knowing she's too focused on the task at hand. He picked a random box and opened it before carefully unpacking various small objects. He seems to have picked the box with office supplies for her desk. 'Ah, that's handy, at least I know where those should go.' Not wanting to prod the woman too much with silly questions he moved the box towards her desk and slowly started to unpack them. He figured she'd re-arrange them anyway later, to her liking.

“Oh, I found Kaga-chan!” He held the sumo-wrestler bobble-head up for Amami to see, chuckling warmly as he thought back to that evening he had given it to her.

This made Amami stand up and walk up towards her boyfriend, placing a kiss on both her boyfriend and the toy's bobble-head. “My two favorite men!” Her mind drifted off to the moment they had named the little figurine.

_It was Kagami's first visit to Amami's home, three months after they first kissed. Amami wanted to introduce her boyfriend to her parents and brother so she invited him over for dinner. This was the first time she came home with a boy so it was only natural for her to be nervous. Her father was a busy man, having to run his own company together with her uncle, nevertheless they had been close. He always tried to make even the littlest of time to spend with his two children and wife, saying that family was important. Her mother was the typical stay-at-home-mom, making sure everything in the household was going the way she wanted to. Taking care of her husband and both their children had been a task big enough for the gentle woman. She always prided herself towards relatives and friends that her children were so well-mannered and respectful. Patting herself on the back on a job well done raising both of them but not resisting to chuckle at her daughter's quirkiness. Both her children were hardworking and easy going kids, but her daughter always had that extra 'special' spark. Which surprised her sometimes, seeing both her nor her husband had that trait, perhaps a certain raven-haired friend of her daughter was to 'blame' for her daughter's interesting quirks. Her son was more serious, perhaps the prospect of him following his father in his footsteps and someday taking over the company made him the diligent person. Ushio, who was five years older than his sister was in his last year of university but came over for dinner as well when his sister had asked him to. He stayed at the dormitory of his university, making it easier for him._

_“Calm down, Kagami-kun, it'll all turn out great. My family are nice people, they won't give you a hard time.” Amami tried to comfort her boyfriend when she noticed he was fidgeting with his hair on their way towards home._

_“Easy for you to say, you don't have to think of making a good impression..” Even when he said that, his pout already quirked up into a small grin. She had a way of always saying the right things to him when he was feeling uneasy._

_She returned his grin with one of her own and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “I'm a bit nervous too though, you all mean so much to me, but I'm sure they'll like you. .. And if they don't we'll just have to move out to a different country. I prefer an exotic country, beautiful beaches,..” She rolled her eyes while bumping her shoulder against his arm as she noticed her boyfriend's shocked expression. “I'm kidding Kagami-kun..”_

_The moment of truth came when they reached the doorstep of her place. She took her key and opened the door, both taking off their shoes and coats in the hall. She announced they arrived and not long after they found themselves in the living room. She immediately introduced Kagami to her family and the other way around. It was slightly awkward for the first few minutes but it soon changed into a more relaxing atmosphere when they decided to take a seat into comfortable couches. Her mother had excused herself to head back towards the kitchen, continuing to prepare dinner. Amami would normally offer to help her mother out, but knowing her boyfriend needed her more she decided against it. She had already helped during the afternoon before she went to retrieve Kagami from the train-station. She also made sure there was plenty of food, warning her mother that Kagami had quite the appetite._

_They talked mainly about Kagami, her father asking him all sorts of questions, wanting to know the boy, who was dating his daughter, a little better. Kagami had politely answered all of his questions as best as he could, telling him about his father, his stay in America and basketball. Amami frequently jumped into the conversation, relieving her boyfriend from her father's interview. It was then that her mother announced that dinner was ready so they all huddled towards the dining table._

_“So.. Kagami-san, what are your plans for after high-school?” Amami's father suddenly asked the boy during dinner._

_“O-Oh.. ehm, I'm not sure yet, I love to play basketball.. err.. I mean, I probably go for a college that has a good team.” Kagami stammered out his answer, completely taken by surprise as he hadn't thought that far ahead yet. They were at the last semester of their second year, he figured he'd still have a year to think about such things._

_“I see.. but you surely must have a vague idea on what you would like to do for work, right? I can see you clearly love the sport, but you'll have to think of your future too, no?” Her father raised an eyebrow inquisitively._

_Kagami's eyes widened as he was mentally cursing himself for not expecting such a question. Of course her parents would want to know what his plans were, how could he be so stupid not to have prepared a decent answer for it? But when he thought about it, it always had seemed clear to him: he wanted to play basketball. He never thought of doing anything else than playing, he even cringed at he thought of his school results. He wasn't a great student, it was becoming even a miracle that somehow he managed to pass most of the tests and exams until now._

_“Now, now, darling, Kagami-kun still has more than a year to think about those things. I'm sure something will come up that he'll enjoy besides basketball, right Seo-chan?” Amami's mother saved the poor boy from her husbands interrogation._

_Her father took the hint and eased down on the boy and decided to let the rest of the family chat. Amami's brother, Ushio, ended up talking to Kagami, teasing his sister every step of the way by telling Kagami the most embarrassing things his sister had done in her life. The atmosphere became relaxed again as they all laughed at the stories, Amami included._

_When dinner was done both Kagami and Amami had offered her mother to help out with the dishes before being shoo'd away once more. Her mother thanked them and told them to go and enjoy themselves instead. Kagami had complimented her cooking and thanked her for the wonderful dinner before Amami told her mother that they'd go towards her room._

_“Alright honey, leave the door of your bedroom open though.” The woman simply smiled at the two who were now blushing._

_When they entered her room, Kagami let out a sigh of relief before taking in his girlfriends room. It appeared to be less girly than he'd expected: a one-person bed, a closet and a desk which was kept neatly. His eyes fell on a familiar looking figurine resting on top of her desk._

_“Hey.. is that..?” He went closer to inspect the figurine and indeed! It was the sumo-wrestler he had given her at the start of this school year. He poked the head of the figurine making the sumo-wrestler furiously eat the pie he was holding._

_“Ah.. erh, yes he's been standing there ever since..” Amami blushed a little, feeling a bit embarrassed._

_“I didn't think you'd actually keep him.. you really think he's that cute huh?” Kagami looked at Amami, sporting a lop-sided smirk._

_“Of course I kept him.. it was a gift and you told me to take care of him..” Amami bit her bottom lip, not wanting to admit she had been fawning over the gift ever since that evening._

_“Does he have a name?” Kagami noticed his girlfriend becoming shy all of a sudden and relished in it. He hugged her tightly while resting his chin on top of her head._

_“Not really, although he is quite familiar to someone I know..” She lifted her head slowly, looking up in bright red eyes, a sly smile curving her lips. “..This person also has a big appetite.”_

_“Are you comparing me with a sumo-wrestler?!” He huffed out in a playful manner, feigning hurt._

_“Hmm, yes, we should definitely name him after you.. Kagami Nigou?” She giggled when Kagami's brows knitted in annoyance at the mention of the dog that terrorized him._

_“No.. just.. no.” He rubbed his face with his hand, not wanting to think about the little demon spawn._

_“Hmm.. Kagami-kun.. Kaga..-kun.. Kaga-chan!” She exclaimed with a content smile, already liking the sound of it._

_Kagami chuckled deeply, tightening his arms around her while looking at his miniature version. “Sounds good..”_

“You're spacing out again.” Kagami kissed Amami's lips in return, successfully pulling her out of her thoughts.

“I was just remembering that day you met my family for the first time.” She fondly smiled as she took Kaga-chan from her boyfriend's hand and placed him on her desk where he belonged.

“Ugh, I'd rather not.. I-I mean, not like that! It was nice, but man was I nervous, your father can be scary. I was sure he was gonna give me a hard time for the rest of the evening until your mother stopped him.” Kagami scrunched his nose at the thought of her father, he had no qualm with the man. But her father seemed to have this special ability that made him feel so small even though he was a tall man to begin with.

“He just thinks I need someone to take care of me later, so when my boyfriend answers my father with 'basketball' when he's being asked what his academic plans were...” She mocked her boyfriend, imitating his voice when she uttered the word 'basketball' in a deep gruff voice.

“O-Oi..! I still think that was a good answer, I could become a professional basketball player and take care of you.” He scowled when she was mocking his basketball-obsession for the umpteenth time.

The last part of that sentence had rubbed Amami the wrong way, she didn't want to be taken care of. She was more than capable of doing that herself and didn't need her man to provide for her. She knew that he knew as well though, so she didn't press the issue. “Whatever you say, Taiga~” She eventually said, smiling.

**************

“Alright, I want you guys to find a partner for this assignment, your deadline will be on the 30th of May at 12pm.” The professor, who was standing in front of the blackboard of his class started to collect his papers as the bell of the university chimed. “That will be all..” He announced before quickly scurrying out.

'Find a partner uh..' Amami's eyes roamed over the large classroom until her eyes landed on a familiar redhead who was already making his way up the stairs towards her desk. ' Her eyes widened with mild surprise as he locked his gaze with hers.

“Hello, Amami-kun, would it be fine for you if we would join forces for the assignment?” Akashi politely asked her when he finally reached her desk. A warm smile graced his soft features when he stood in front of her.

“Good afternoon, Akashi-san, I'd love to!” She grinned, the thought of THE Akashi working together with her thrilled Amami. Knowing the man's intelligence, insight and abilities she knew they'd make an excellent team. 

“There's no need to be so formal, we're both students here.” Akashi implored sweetly.

She stood up when she collected her belongings and followed Akashi towards the exit of their university. Smiling back at the man. “Alright, Akashi-kun.”

Since the beginning of their school year they frequently ended up talking together, having known each other, albeit only a little, through Midorima and basketball. They shared most of their classes together, aiming to become successful in the business sector.

The walk towards the exit was already filled with ideas and plans for the assignment, but didn't feel forced or overwhelming. They balanced their serious conversation with trivial and interesting stories from their still new university experience. They decided to spend the upcoming weekend together to work on their assignment, agreeing to go towards Amami's apartment. Akashi fancied the idea of seeing his old teammate, Midorima, once more as well.

**************

Weekend quickly came and Akashi could be found in Amami's bedroom, since the living room was too crowded and noisy thanks to Takao and Midorima, who were watching a basketball game. Hours passed by as the two worked diligently, discussing their ideas and plans. Even when Amami knew about Akashi's brilliant mind, she still couldn't help but be amazed when he showed her ideas she didn't even think of. It made her want to work harder, prove her own worth, which she did. A grin of victory emerged on her lips when she managed to correct one of Akashi's assessments and explained him a better way of handling the issue. He rubbed his chin in thought, knitting his brows together while trying to understand Amami's method. The moment he realized she was right, he huffed, he didn't smile but there was a certain twinkle in his eyes of amusement. When he opened his mouth to retort he heard the doorbell.

“Oh, it's that late already?” Amami checked her clock quickly when she heard the doorbell and immediately excused herself, smiling to Akashi.

Amami ran through the small corridor towards the door but already found Kagami talking with Takao in the living room.

“Hey there, handsome.” She sauntered her way towards her boyfriend with a sly smirk.

Kagami whipped his head towards Amami, immediately tuning Takao's rant out and flashed his girlfriend a toothy grin. “Hi yourself, beautiful.” He leaned in and kissed her lips hungrily, hugging her tightly.

“You could at least act as if ya were still listenin'..” Takao faked a pout and looked towards Midorima who was standing in front of an open fridge. “Shiiin-chaan~ you would never ignore me, right?”

“...” The green-haired man ignored his friend and took a small bottle of water from the fridge before sitting back in his relax-chair.

“I thought you loved me Shin-chan!” Takao made a melodramatic gesture with his arms, grinning when he saw Midorima's blush before the tsundere hid it by looking away.

“As if! I've been listening to you all day now.” He barked out, annoyed that his friend could blurt out such statements. The fact that he'd spent the entire day together with him without the usual Amami-buffer already took its toll on the man.

It was then that Akashi entered the living room as well, having heard the ruckus. “It sure is always lively in here..” His bright red eyes filled with mirth before landing on Kagami, who was still holding Amami in an embrace. “Good afternoon Kagami, it's nice to see you again.”

Kagami blinked his eyes several times, startled when he noticed Akashi had emerged from Amami's bedroom. “Hello.. A-Akashi..?” His gaze flickered between Amami and Akashi, becoming more confused by the second.

“Ah, Taiga, I forgot to mention that Akashi was coming over. We grouped up for an assignment and decided to work on it today.” She let go of her boyfriend as she motioned towards Akashi, not realizing how things were looking. “I lost track of time as well, didn't even realize it was this late until you rang the doorbell.” She innocently giggled when she poked his belly, earning her a grunt from him.

“I..see..” His gaze flickered warily between the two as he held the offending hand away from his stomach.

Akashi noticed Kagami's expression and decided to put the poor man at ease. “We wanted to work in the living room at first, but Midorima and Takao were watching a game so we decided not to intrude and take our work to a more quiet room.” A sincere smile reached his lips.

“R-Right.. I-I keep forgetting you guys are classmates now, ...sorta.” Kagami stuttered as he scratched the back of his head. Even when he didn't expect anything bad to have happened, he couldn't help but dislike the fact that Akashi had been sitting in his girlfriends room for hours.

“Well, with that said, I guess I'll be going now. We'll continue our assignment next time, Amami-kun.” He turned towards Amami, deciding that it was indeed getting late and leaving the four friends to themselves.

“Ah.. are you sure? We were planning on making dinner, you could stay and eat before you go?” Amami felt guilty, feeling as if she was kicking him out because Kagami showed up.

“No no, that won't be necessary, I already have plans for tonight anyway. We both lost track of time it seems.” He declined politely, thankful for the invitation. “It was nice seeing all of you again, Midorima, Takao and Kagami.. I'll be sending you a mail with more ideas later on, Amami-kun.” He bowed slightly before making his way out.

The rest of the weekend had been spent with Kagami mostly, the awkward moment quickly forgotten. When Kagami went back to his place Amami decided to work some more on her part of the assignment while mailing her partner back.

During the week they worked together in the library, booking great success each time. Both satisfied with the finished result when the deadline finally neared in.


	11. Chapter 11

*BEEP BEEP*

The ringing of Amami's alarm clock blared through her ears making her frantically look for her cellphone with her eyes still closed. After almost a minute she finally found the device of terror somewhere underneath her blanket. Her screen stuck on an unfinished text message towards Kagami.

Rubbing the dried up drool from her cheek she groaned, it felt like she barely slept. Her limbs seemingly made of lead, required more effort to move. Not wanting to be late she finally rolled out of bed, literally. Groaning some more at the cold sensation the floor gave when she hung half out of her bed, her leg gotten stuck in her blanket.

“Ah.. it's going to be one of those days huh..” She darkly muttered as she started to kick her trapped leg furiously, disentangling herself. After several minutes she finally got up to her feet and made her way towards the bathroom to get ready. Shoving a piece of toast in her mouth that she had quickly rammed in the device before she decided to head out, having wasted enough time already when trying to get out of bed. She took her belongings and quickly put on her shoes and coat, ignoring the calendar on the wall when she opened the door.

Halfway towards university she was standing still in front of a red light, sitting on her moped. Trying to keep herself awake she started to lean from left to right, swaying while standing still. It was then that her eyes landed on a big screen of an electronics store next to her. 

'30th May.'

It took Amami another twenty seconds before her eyes widened in shock. Amami wasn't one to swear out loud, but at that moment she was glad that she wore her helmet, blocking out the string of curses that would make a pirate proud. Quickly checking her rear-mirror and her surroundings she turned around when the lights hit green. The wheels screeching on the asphalt as she did, before making her way back home.

“Can't believe I almost forgot the assignment.. 'I don't accept your works on computer, I want a proper folder with your work.' Welcome to the 21st century, Tachibana-sensei!” Her mood became more gloomy by the second. She pushed her key in the door, opening it before making her way towards her room where the culprit was waiting on her desk. She took hold of the quite thick folder and shoved it in her bag so she could make her way back towards university once more. It was when she was halfway through the small corridor of her apartment, passing by the others' bedroom, that she heard something unfamiliar, making her stop. She stood there for a few moments, hearing nothing. 

'Am I hearing things...?' When she was met by silence she shrugged her shoulders and moved once more until she heard the noise again. This time it was louder and came from Takao's bedroom. 'Huh.. I thought everyone was out for class..?' Inching closer towards his door, making sure she wasn't becoming crazy.

“Shiin..-channn~..”

Amami's eyes grew the size of saucers when she heard Takao's voice in such a lewd way. This was one of the rare moments in her life where her brain decided to completely shut down. In any other circumstance she would just giggle and brush it off thinking it was only natural for her best friend to take care of his urges. But the fact that her best friend was uttering her other friends name.. that completely caught her off-guard. 

'Kazu.. Shin-chan..?' She wondered if she was so blind that she never realized such a thing.

“I-Is this good..?”

This time her eyebrows almost disappeared into her hairline, she slapped her hand over her mouth, not wanting to make a noise when she heard Midorima's voice. Her brain now officially frazzled, she scrambled back towards the front door, trying not to make too much noise when she did.

'Kazu-chan.. and.. Mido-kun..?' She couldn't stop repeating that question in her mind as she was on her way to university once more. Barely mustering enough focus on the road while her brain was trying to make sense of what she had heard. She stood in front of a red light only a few minutes away from her destination when she finally managed to calm down a bit. Her brain now able to rationalize things again.

“Kazu-chan and Mido-kun.. together.” She whispered into her helmet, a small smile curving her lips unknowingly. The more she thought of the idea of her two best friends as a couple, the more she found herself thinking that it only made sense. Sure she didn't really know their sexual preference, but besides that they always seemed to fit well together, in her opinion at least. Just up until now she always only saw that in a friendship kind of way though. It was then that a multitude of other questions started to pop up. 'Since when..', 'How did they..'. The more she wondered about those, the more she was smiling. She was happy for both of them, she cared for both men deeply and the idea of her two best friends making each other happy only added to that. But what was that strange feeling grinding against that happiness? 'Why didn't he tell me..' That last question hit her like a train. The two childhood friends shared everything and knew every single embarrassing moment they had, so why didn't he tell her he liked Midorima? Why didn't he tell her that they were a couple? Didn't he trust her enough with such delicate information? Did he think she would respond in a negative manner? Hadn't she always been open-minded without judging people?

She parked her moped on the parking lot of the university before making her way towards her first class. Clutching her bag towards her chest tightly as she made her way through the hallways. It wasn't until she felt her shoulder being shaken that she realized she had been standing still.

“Amami-kun, are you alright?”

Locks of red hair came into view when she slowly realized what was going on. Her head snapped up towards the man, her eyes wide as if Akashi just grew a second head right in front of her.

“Amami-kun.. are you not feeling well?” Akashi brushed his hand up against her forehead, checking if she had a fever. Not feeling much of a difference of temperature between their two bodies he sighed slightly out of relief. His eyebrows knitted together thoughtfully. He never had seen Amami in such a confused state. He opened his mouth once more, wanting to call out to her again when he got interrupted.

“S-Sorry.. I was spacing out..” She finally croaked out, as if her answer told the man what he didn't know already.

“You can say that again..” He looked around, they were both standing still in the middle of the hallway. Dozens of students brushing by them hurriedly for their class, some of them even muttering curses and giving the two dirty glances. “Come, let's go inside so we won't block the hallway any further.” Akashi gently pressed against her back, urging her towards the door of their class.

They both took seats next to each other in the back of the class, well away from the rest of their classmates.

Not wanting to press the issue any further he dropped the subject. “Did you bring our assignment with you? We'll have to turn it in after this class.”

“Yes, I have it right here.” She tapped on her bag which was still lying on top of her desk before diverting her gaze towards the front of the class. The professor had arrived, making Amami pull the bag off of her desk and getting ready for his lecture.

After class they both walked out, making their way towards the professor, giving him their assignment. The professor merely nodded, acknowledging their existence when they placed their work on his desk. The rest of the day had been rather uneventful until Amami finally made it back home.

Pushing the key in the lock she opened the door before entering it.

“I'm home.” She announced while she kicked her shoes off and placed her coat on the coat rack.

“Welcome home!” Takao chirped, flipping his head over the couch to greet his best friend. Midorima nodded with a small smile, sitting in the relax-chair they owned.

It vexed Amami, knowing that they would go to such an extent to hide an important thing from her. She felt her stomach clench once more at the hurt she felt when she walked towards her bedroom, quickly shutting the door behind her.

She flung herself on her bed, feeling exhausted and in general still confused and filled with questions. If they didn't tell Amami about their relationship they most likely wouldn't like it when other people would know either, so she couldn't consult someone on the matter. When she inhaled deeply she wanted to groan loudly in her pillow, but the click of her door prevented her from doing so.

“Seo-chan.. are you okay?” Takao opened the door slowly, he was never one to wait for an invitation. When he glanced towards her bed he could see her body froze up and her face buried in her pillow. “Seo.. what's wrong?” He moved towards her bed while having a bad feeling at the same time.

When she felt her bed give in to the man's weight she slowly turned around to face him. Her eyes calculating as she remained quiet for a moment. She honestly didn't know how to address the 'issue', even wondering if she should to begin with. She was immensely happy for the two of them but she felt left out by him. No, not by only him, by both of them. Even when she didn't expect Midorima to be an open book, she did think that he would at least share such important information with her. For how long did they plan to hide this anyway?

“Seo-chan..” He began once more, noticing the contemplating look she was showing. He knew her too well, something was bothering her big time. Before he could ask her again she finally decided to speak up.

“I.. forgot my assignment this morning, the deadline was today..” She paused, trying to think of a better way to broach the subject.

Takao read the pause as the ending of her statement and huffed slightly. “It's not the end of the world, Seo-chan.. I'm sure your professor will give you a second ch--”

“I realized it when I was on my way towards university, so I turned around to retrieve it.” She interrupted him, showing him that that wasn't the problem. She paused once more, not sure if she should continue or not. But Takao only kept staring at her, waiting expectantly. 'He doesn't realize it..' She cursed mentally. “So.. I came back home to grab it.. passing your bedroom on my way back out..” She stared pointedly at him now, her stomach clenching, not sure on how her friend was going to react. Heck she didn't even know herself how to react to this situation.

It was after a few seconds that Takao's brain started to put the last pieces of the puzzle in place. His skin became pale suddenly, looking with wide eyes towards Amami who tried her best to smile, making it awkward. “Y-You.. passed by my bedroom..? You..” Takao started to ruffle his hair furiously, trying to form a clear sentence as realization dawned upon him.

Amami placed a hand on his other hand, gently squeezing it and showing a more sincere smile this time. “I'm happy for you two.. Kazu-chan..”

If the previous few minutes didn't make it clear, it did now. She knew and now he knew she knew! He started to panic even further, his mouth opening and shutting like a idiotic fish trying to say _something_ but nothing came out.

“It's alright, Kazu-chan, I won't tell anyone either if that's what you two want. For what it's worth, I support you two. Congratulations..?” She grinned, slightly awkward, while hugging her best friend. She decided not to say anything further for the moment and wisely opted to give him some time to compose himself again. Squeezing him tightly against her own body.

Takao rasped out a deep breath in the crook of her neck as he was holding onto her for dear life. He felt scared and insecure but at the same time, because of the way she was hugging him, he felt safe and more importantly, accepted by her. It felt like a heavy load was lifted from his shoulders, relieved that his best friend had accepted, not only him, but his relationship with Midorima. Japan still had an old fashioned attitude in its society when it came down to gay relationships, so it was scary and daunting for both of them.

A small sniffle reached Amami's ears, making her realize that the crook of her neck had become rather moist all of a sudden. “Hey now, no need to cry over this, this is happy news, right?” She grabbed his head between both her hands, looking him straight in his eyes, reassuring him that it's fine.

“I'm.. so sorry.. Seo-chan..” His voice hitched, trying to calm himself. “I should have.. told you sooner.. I was so scared.. n-not an excuse.. sorry..” His voice shrank into a whisper, guilt wracking his body for not having trusted his friend he had known for almost his entire life now.

The moment she heard him utter the word 'sorry' she instantly felt the hurt melt away. Her body relaxed more, placing a kiss against his temple on his head. “It's alright Kazu-chan and your secret is safe with me if that's what you want.” She realized it couldn't have been easy on the man, having to deal with his sexual preference, being scared of what people might think of both him and Midorima and feeling guilty for not having told his friend about it. She rubbed lazy circles on his back when she heard footsteps coming closer.

“Kaz-.. Takao?” Midorima's heart sank as he found Takao in such a state. 'What the hell happened in this short period of time.' He wondered.

“Mido-kun..” Amami softly smiled as she released her hold on Takao, allowing him to look towards his boyfriend.

“Ah.. Shin-chan.. y-you may want to sit down...” Takao let out a raspy chuckle while ruffling his hair once more.

“Is something the matter..?” Midorima quickly questioned both of his friends but obeyed nonetheless.

Takao took the initiative to explain everything towards his lover carefully, not wanting to spook him too much. Amami could only warmly smile at the man as his expressions went from utter shock, disbelief, complete embarrassment and eventually to anger. “I told you we shouldn't have done it!” “Shin-chan, _you_ came to _my_ bedroom...remember?” Making the shooting guard blush an even deeper shade of red.

“Hey, does that mean we'll have a spare room..? You know, you two could share a bedroom, think of the extra room we could have..” Amami chirped, already thinking of having her own couch and tv for herself instead of watching the usual basketball games or weird documentaries on how soap is being made. For some reason Midorima was always riveted by those.

“Most definitely not, nanodayo!” Midorima barked out, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

They ended up giggling and chatting together for the rest of the evening, the three of them all feeling more relieved now that Amami knew. They came to the agreement that she would indeed keep it a secret for now but decided that it would be indeed best for them to at least tell their friends and eventually their family about their relationship. Like Amami pointed out towards them, you can't hide such things forever and perhaps it was best to bite the bullet rather sooner than later. But for now it was still a secret until they both felt ready to take the next step in outing themselves.

**************

Back in university the assignment both Akashi and Amami had made had been praised by their professor, having not seen such an intricate and well-informed work like this before. It was elaborate but without any over-abundance of information making it the perfect presentation. It was to be expected from Akashi and Amami, they both showed true promise with their work.

The rest of the year had gone by in a blur, life at university was hard and busy and before they knew it, they were already cramming for their exams at the end of their school year. Amami wasn't surprised, but it surely was her first time to experience 'being second' when the results of their exams came out. Akashi obviously took the honor but felt deep respect for Amami who was not far behind him. As for the others? Midorima had done a great job himself as well and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying his life in med-school. Takao did an alright job, he was more than pleased with his results but glad to be going back to normal life after having studied so much in the past few weeks. Kagami.. well.. he passed.. the results still weren't something to write home about, but he made sure he could move on towards the next year, albeit with some help from his girlfriend and friends.


	12. Chapter 12

“Seo, are you almost ready, we're gonna be late if--” Kagami entered his bathroom where his girlfriend had taken residence for the past thirty minutes.

Amami simply looked up into the mirror, looking at Kagami's reflection. She was in the process of adding the last touches of her make up. “I'm almost done here, give me five more minutes, please. The cab will be here in ten.. what's wrong?” She interrupted herself when she noticed her boyfriend simply staring at her.

Kagami shook his head quickly at the question, a big smile plastered on his face. “Can't I appreciate my girlfriends' beauty?” He snuck up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pushing her into his chest. Their gazes locked unto each other in the mirror in front of them.

Amami had put her long ginger hair up in a loose but elegant bun, having a few strands loose to frame her face perfectly. Having opted for a natural look with her make up, she never really was a fan of all those chemicals to begin with. Small silver earrings in the shape of teardrops dangled from her earlobes, but the jewelry that stood out the most was the necklace with a small silvery pendant with a green and red gemstone in it. It had been a birthday gift from Kagami, the colors resembling the both of them. She wore a vibrant green strapless cocktail-dress that reached a little above her knees, keeping it classy yet playful.

After finishing her preparation and nodding her own approval at her work in the mirror she glanced up once more into Kagami's eyes through the mirror's reflection. He had been holding her the entire time, enjoying the view of them together. “Need help with your tie?” She grinned as she noticed the poor attempt of the knot which earned a small blush from Kagami.

“These sort of outfits really aren't my thing..” Kagami sighed while Amami made a proper knot in his tie.

“I beg to differ, you look incredibly sexy in a suit.” She adjusted the black vest before letting her hands roam over the dark red button-up shirt. She bit her bottom lip as she indulged herself on her boyfriend's broad chest before snapping her attention somewhere else. “Shall we?” She smiled, mentally thanking her heart to have fallen in love with her amazing sweet boyfriend who happened to have the body of a god.

“Perhaps we could be fashionably late..?” Even though he knew what the answer to that question would be, it didn't stop him from wishful thinking.

“Hmm, tempting, but we can't afford to be late on my brother's wedding party.” She giggled, trying to hide her blush as she darted out of the bathroom. She quickly put on a pair of black heels with straps around the ankles and grabbed her small black purse completing her outfit.

Not long after the cab arrived and honked to make its presence aware towards the couple. They both walked out of his apartment and entered the cab, making their way towards the place where the party was being held. The ceremony had taken place during the day and they had been given a small break to go back home to change into more fitting outfits for the party in the evening. The invitation noted that dinner would start around seven in the evening, so Amami had wanted to arrive half an hour prior.

Both arrived exactly at half past six, paying the chauffeur before making their way towards the entrance of the fancy establishment. Amami gingerly hooked her arm around her boyfriends' arm, grinning mischievously when she noticed his unease in his suit.

When they entered they noticed an already significant crowd inside, mainly close relatives and friends of the bride and groom. It didn't take long for them to find the happy newlyweds and decided to walk up to the couple.

“Congratulations, Miki and Ushio Amami!” Seo warmly exclaimed as she hugged both of them, winking towards her now sister-in-law and her new last name. “Welcome to the family, treat each other well!”

“Thank you, Seo-kun and we definitely will.” Miki responded, smiling warmly towards her husband. “Please, enjoy your evening.”

“Thank you, little sister of mine, don't forget to join the group later on for the bouquet tossing!” Ushio playfully elbowed his sister, tossing a sly wink at Kagami who almost choked on his own saliva at that sentence.

“We're too young for that, besides we can't outshine you guys so fast, now can we?” Seo gave her brother a saucy smirk, joking her way through the awkward feeling that coursed through her at the thought.

“Congratulations you two, it was a beautiful ceremony..” Kagami managed to keep his cool, just barely, by redirecting the attention back to the rightful couple of the day.

“Thank you Kagami-kun, enjoy the evening you two.. and try to not get into trouble, much..” Ushio gave the two a final wink as he ushered his wife towards other people who had arrived and wanted to congratulate the newlyweds as well.

Amami and Kagami let out a fond chuckle, rolling their eyes at her brother's attitude. Ushio was always the serious one of the two siblings, but naturally this day would make any man giddy. Teasing his baby sister was one of his ways of expressing such giddiness.

The two of them wandered around the fine establishment, welcoming others and talking with family members while more guests kept flooding in. It seemed that they had invited a lot of people, not only family members, friends and close relatives, but also people from the business sector. Events like these were just perfect for strengthening relations between companies and seeing how Ushio had started to work at his fathers and uncles company, it only made sense.

Not long after mingling a little more, Amami noticed a beacon of bright green hair, surrounded by other familiar faces. “Oh look, Kazu-chan, Mido-kun and Akashi-kun are already here, let's go meet them!” She cheered happily, dragging her overwhelmed boyfriend by his elbow towards their friends.

They all started to chat merrily after they had greeted each other, while trying to find their table. The room was massive and was split up in two sections, one was filled with a sea of tables that slowly started to fill by the guests, the other section was the dance floor, which was big enough for quite a party. It all looked very fancy, luxurious decorations sprinkled everywhere, showing off the status of the couple, but it didn't lose its warm touch.

“Aha, I found our table guys!” Takao exclaimed as he pointed towards a round table with five chairs around it. “Guess they grouped us up with no one else!” Takao slightly pouted for a small moment before it got replaced by a devious smirk. “Guess they knew Shin-chan and I wanted to have some quality time toge--”

“Takao..” Midorima simply sighed in defeat, rolling his eyes at his boyfriends' way of thinking. But if he had to be honest, he was relieved to find out that most of the evening would be spent in the warm presence of his close friends without having too much interactions with complete strangers. He knew the only reason he was here, was because Takao had been a friend of the Amami's since he was four and they both had come out towards their family and friends not so long ago. They mostly had been accepting of them, but it still made Midorima feel wary at occasions as these.

“As long as I'm getting food, I'm happy anywhere..” Kagami ignored the two and plopped himself down on the seat that had his name on the table. Which prompted several bouts of eye-rolling from his friends.

Amami simply smiled as she made her way towards her own chair, next to Kagami and aimed to take a seat before she noticed Akashi sliding her chair out politely. He motioned for her to take a seat as he slid her chair, prompting her to sit down. 

“Thank you, Akashi-kun.” Amami smiled towards the red-head, appreciating the small gesture. 'He must really thrive at events like these, acting like the perfect gentleman. No doubt getting ready to charm everyone of any significance towards his future career.'

Akashi gently nodded at the given thanks before making his way towards his own chair in between Kagami and Midorima.

The only person who noticed a brief yet heated glare from Kagami towards the other red-head, decided to not say anything about it and distract him with the only thing that he knew would.

“Ah, let's look at the menu! It all looks very good, how many courses are these...” Takao's eyes darted over the very elaborate menu, containing way too many courses for the 'simple folk' like him. “Man, I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to eat all of this.. is it normal to have so many courses?”

The distraction was a clean success as Kagami's attention immediately went towards the same menu, saliva already accumulating in his mouth at the mere thought of eating so much delicious food. He refrained from saying anything however, clearly busy reading the fancy dishes for tonight.

A rather loud rumble echoed around their table, making the others look up towards Kagami.

“Is reading the menu really all it takes for your stomach to go into hyper drive? Do you really not think of anything else but food and basketball?” Midorima huffed haughtily, trying his best to hide a small smile.

“W-What.. it wasn't me dammit..” Kagami huffed in annoyance at the jibe of his friend.

This had caused the table to look at him with disbelief, except for one person.

“I'm hungryyyy~” Amami drawled out without any hint of shame, already looking around to check if there were waiters already running around with plates of food, which to her dismay wasn't the case yet.

This earned a warm chuckle from her left, Kagami placed a chaste kiss on her forehead with a smile. “Told you, you should've eaten a small thing earlier this afternoon.” This only made Amami pout, letting her bottom lip jut out slightly in a childish manner.

“I swear, Seo-chan, the more time you spend with your boyfriend, the more you start to act like him..” Takao stated with mirth as he rested his chin on his perked hand, elbow resting on the table.

“As long as she doesn't start jumping all over the place and challenging everyone in here, we should be fine.” Akashi, still not a fine master of the arts of jokes tried his best to alleviate the atmosphere. “And to answer your previous questions, Takao-kun, the menu may contain many courses, but usually they'll only contain small bites, so eventually it won't be as much of food as you may think.”

If the failed attempt to mock Kagami and the earlier incident with the chair didn't already put Kagami in a foul mood with his fellow red-head, then the revelation of their menu for tonight did. A sour scowl plastered on his face as he once more started to go through the menu, scrutinizing every course.

Amami frowned at what was going on, her friends all seemed to be ganging up on her boyfriend pushing him into a bad mood while this should be a fun night for all of them. “If that means I can start kicking all of your butts like Kagami did, I have no complaints.” She didn't even bother to look at any of her friends, scooting closer to her boyfriend and comforting him by pointing out that some of the courses will be normal portions. “--Those small courses are just in between, so you can see them as little extras to keep the people's appetite going.” Successfully bringing a smile back on her boyfriends face.

The others felt the icy aura she had been emitting towards them and realized that they weren't being nice towards Kagami. They knew Kagami would've retorted if it weren't for his girlfriend and the wedding, not wanting to cause anything unpleasant throughout the night. 

Just as fast as the cold front of her appeared, it quickly disappeared once more. A bright grin once more present. “Mido-kun, I hope you're a good dancer.” She wiggled her eyebrows at her roommate while motioning towards the dance floor.

This had caused Midorima to sputter in embarrassment, resulting him with a soft blush. Not long after the table had started to chit chat in a much more pleasant atmosphere again. Before they knew it, all the guests finally had arrived and taken their seats at the sea of tables. A dozen of waiters finally started their huge task of delivering the many courses towards their guests. Speeches were made, laughter erupted at the embarrassing story Ushio's best man had made before wishing the couple all the best wishes in the world. Tears of happiness were shed at memories of her maid of honor ending with an applause from the guests, wishing the bride and groom all the best. A slightly overwhelmed but happy couple thanked their guests for joining them on their special day and eventually told their guests to enjoy their meals and the rest of the evening. Motioning to dig in.

One course being more successful than the other, but overall they were all very delicious, to a certain red-heads delight. The evening slowly progressed and the guests all seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. The amount of alcohol always helped in these cases, even the small group of friends had their share of alcohol, resulting into a more than usual flamboyant conversation between them. The regular intervals of food helped them digest the not so big amounts of alcohol to begin with, so some of them were only slightly tipsy at best.

Not long after dinner had finished, they had officially started the party by introducing the newlyweds with the usual tradition of their first dance. The song was the typical slow, romantic kind that most likely meant something towards the couple as they gently swayed on the dance floor by themselves. Basking in the attention from everyone and their own love for each other, this had been the umpteenth time Amami's mother started crying tears of happiness that day. Muttering how her boy had grown up so fast and that she wasn't the woman to take care of him anymore. Amami rolled her eyes in amusement at her mother and the typical mother crisis when their son gets married. The song ended and with that the dance floor was now open for everyone to jump in.

“If I ever get so mushy, teary-eyed when my son gets married, you are allowed to mock me.” Amami chuckled as she noticed her mother demanding to dance with her son on the dance floor, which Ushio happily agreed to.

She didn't really realize when she said it, but her statement made Kagami look up at Amami, Ushio's cheeky banter from earlier that evening ringing through his mind. The red-head slightly blushed at the thought while swallowing an imaginary lump in his throat. Which of course resulted in Takao giggling in his typical way.

Now with the party going on, Akashi had started to mingle with the crowd, feeling obligated to keep up appearances with the fellow business crowd. Charming chuckles, pleasing compliments and winning smiles being sent towards possible future business partners for his father's company.

The four friends remaining at their table, chatted away while taking in the numerous sights of the people having fun around them.

“I need to use the restroom, I'll be back.. if I find it..” Kagami stood up and excused himself, already looking around for any indication where it might be. Takao jumped up at the opportunity and stood as well. “I'll help you find it Kagami, I need to go too.” He merely grinned as he gestured for the man to follow him.

And then there were two. Amami looked at Midorima, who strangely enough, seemed at peace even in his current situation. “You guys changed so much over the years..” She blurted out without much thought.

“Oh, what makes you say that..?” Midorima looked at his friend, slightly wary of where this conversation might lead to.

“When I met you, you were this full of himself classmate with a stick up his butt, not being able to take a joke. Veeeery awkward on the socializing part,.--” Before she could continue Midorima interrupted her.

“Oi.. I get it.. These events still aren't my thing however, they still make me feel.. different, nanodayo.” He pointedly looked at Amami, hopefully getting his thoughts through without having to mention what he really meant.

Amami understood him. “Hmm, I guess with a crowd as big as this, things could be.. overwhelming for you two indeed..” She slightly frowned but quickly tried to turn it around. “But in general our families and friends seemed to have accepted you and Kazu-chan..”

“Yes, they have..” Midorima showed a very sincere smile, which happened rarely. “As for the rest, we all changed, we were naive kids back then who didn't have a clue how to deal with the sudden talent we received. I am glad... however, for people like Kazunari, you and even Kuroko and Kagami to make me realize my errors, nanodayo.” He thoughtfully fingered the glass of wine in front of him before looking up once more, his emerald eyes piercing hers. “Thank you, for being a good friend to me and Kazunari.”

Amami's eyes widened for a small moment, before a sincere warm smile showed. She wasn't sure how much alcohol Midorima had had this evening and if the man could handle his liquor. She wasn't going to turn this rare chance down however and immediately took her chance to close the distance between them by throwing herself haphazardly over Takao's chair. Flinging her arms around the man's shoulders, burrowing her nose into his neck. “Aaaw, that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard you say Mido-kuuun~ I'm really glad you're my friend and that you make Kazu-chan so happy too.” She cheekily elbowed his ribs, for as much as she could, still draped over Takao's chair. Teasing the man a little as she noticed the blush appear on his cheeks.

Midorima merely rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless at his friends' antics. “It's not like.. I like you guys or anything..” Barely managing to contain his laughter as he mocks himself with his old tsundere ways. 

This made Amami guffaw with laughter, surprised her friend could crack a joke like that, on his own expense at that!

“Oi, you guys havin' fun without us?” Takao emerged with an also amused Kagami behind him. “Seo-chan.. go back to your own chair and drape yourself around your own boyfriend.” Takao kept a cool gaze before grinning like an idiot.

“You know what..your precious Shin-chan just made the joke of our lifetime, but with that attitude.. I'm not sure I'd want to tell you what he said.” She simply stuck her tongue out and winked at Midorima.

“He'll tell me later on anyway..” Takao shrugged, not taking Amami's bait to her dismay.

A slow song started to play once more, smooth jazzy tunes to be exact, making Amami perk up once more to look at the dance floor, softly sighing with a small smile. Midorima's joke still fresh in her mind making her huff in amusement as she eyed couples walking up towards the dance floor.

Takao looked pointedly at Kagami and, not so subtly, motioned his head towards Amami, conveying an unspoken message that only Kagami could understand.

This caused the red-head to cough nervously before standing up. He held his hand out towards Amami, who was now looking up at Kagami surprised. “Seo.. do you wanna dance..? With me.. I mean..” Blush spreading from his cheeks up to his ears, not being used to actions like these.

Amami looked at the flustered Kagami, not having seen one of those in quite a while but placed her hand in his, letting him help her up. “I'd love to Taiga...” Pleasantly surprised, knowing her boyfriend wasn't the kind to do such things. She felt her body buzzing with excitement and couldn't help the big grin growing when he guided her towards the dance floor.

“Your idea?” Midorima dryly asked Takao.

“Of course..” The man responded with a sigh. “.. she was annoying me with her sighs and longing looks, besides this gives me some alone time with you.” He grinned before resting his head on his boyfriends' shoulder. The two enjoying each others company while looking in amusement at Kagami's attempt at dancing.

Kagami had never danced in his life before, asides the average shake of the ass relatively in rhythm with the songs on his radio. A slow, romantic dance? Nope.. zero experience and it showed, he was nervous and not sure on what to do exactly as he placed one hand on her hip and held her hand with the other.

With all that, Amami either didn't notice, or didn't care. She contently rested her head against his chest as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Letting her boyfriend guide her, the way he seemed fit, simply relishing the fact that they were dancing for their first time. 

When he accidentally stepped on her toe for the third time, he sighed out a grunt in annoyance. “I suck at dancing.. sorry..” He muttered in defeat, a sad smile tinging his lips.

This made Amami look up in surprise, sure she had noticed the occasional step on her toe.. Who wouldn't when a large man like himself did. But it hadn't bothered her at all, she didn't realize he was struggling with the fact that he was inexperienced on this department. “You're doing great, Taiga.. I'm really enjoying this, but if you're concerned for my toes.. perhaps..” Before finishing her sentence she already had stepped on his shoes, pretty sure he wouldn't mind that much. “Is this better?”

Kagami merely laughed at their situation, sighing in defeat afterwards. “Isn't this what they do with kids?”

“Maybe.. who cares, I just want to dance with my boyfriend, I don't really care about the proper technique.” She hugged her boyfriend tighter, not sure if she was conveying her feelings towards her boyfriend well enough.

Kagami didn't respond and ended up leaning his head closer to hers, enjoying the little intimacy they were sharing among the many other couples around them.

When the song ended, Amami motioned for the two of them to return to their table. If it were up to her, they would've remained, but she could feel the unease of her boyfriend. She decided to give him a break.. for now.

Akashi meanwhile had joined them once more, chatting away with an amused smirk on his face.

“Aha, look who decides to grace us once more with his presence!” Amami teased Akashi while still clinging unto her boyfriend who sat in between the former two.

“Only to compliment your wonderful performance on the dance floor. Speaking of grace, Kagami's moves were quite interesting.” His expression adorning a sly grin pointed towards the couple, especially at Kagami, earning him a glare from the taller red-head.

“Whatever..” Kagami muttered, barely having any bite to the retort as he placed a kiss on Amami's head, doing his best to ignore the infuriating man next to him.

“Ah yes, that reminds me, your father and I have had an interesting conversation, Amami. He is quite the clever man, no wonder both our fathers worked together so many years ago. We actually discussed something that might interest you..” Akashi stopped talking when he noticed the woman was barely giving him any attention, giving him a halfhearted response.

“Hmm, I see you've been very busy mingling then..” Amami merely smiled, half her attention still on her boyfriend.

Akashi noticed this however and stood up, gracefully holding out his hand and bowing slightly. “Would you honor me with a dance, Amami-kun?”

This made Amami finally look up at Akashi, noticing his charming smile, she looked at Kagami quickly who simply remained quiet, taking in the scene in front of him. “It would be my pleasure, Akashi-kun..”

Akashi didn't miss a beat and immediately moved in to guide her towards the dance floor. When they arrived he firmly placed his palm on her lower back while holding her hand in between them with his other.

Unlike Kagami, Akashi was used to formal events so he had plenty of experience dancing. It immediately showed as he expertly guided Amami over the dance floor, making it look like they were gliding gracefully. This had earned themselves plenty of spectators, women swooning while men could also appreciate the wonderful performance. 

“Is that Akashi-san dancing with the daughter of Amami-san? They look so wonderful together, I wish my husband would dance with me like that.” A random woman, not so far from Kagami's table, exclaimed rather loudly.

Red fiery orbs were burning holes in Akashi's back while a dark aura started to gather around Kagami. It took him every grain of strength to refrain from barking back at the lady, telling her that the two on the dance floor weren't a couple. Refrain him from stepping up towards the two and scoop her away from the sly weasel who apparently had made it his goal to infuriate Kagami this evening.

His fist started to clench and unclench the poor napkin in his fist. 'Sure they make a wonderful couple, he's so perfect, with his stupid dance, his fake smiles, his...' Kagami internally growled, he was downright jealous of the idiot who dared to lay a hand on his girl. He knew they were classmates and that some sort of friendship had developed between them, but never had he realized they had become this close. Maybe he was exaggerating, who knew, all logic seemed to have been thrown out of the window when Akashi mentioned her father. Kagami knew that Amami's father would rather have his daughter to go out with the likes of Akashi. Remembering their first meeting all too clearly. _“So what are you plans for your future, Kagami-kun?” “Basketball.”_

Now he literally growled out in frustration, startling the others at his table, making them look up at Kagami.

“You know that it is common for people to dance with other people as well during parties, right Kagami?” Midorima earnestly asked the fuming redhead across the table. Midorima seemed the only one who dared to talk to the clearly angry man, Takao simply gazed wordlessly.

Kagami didn't hear the man, his brain full of dark thoughts and jealousy. He merely continued glaring and molesting the napkin in his hand.


	13. Chapter 13

Meanwhile on the dance floor:

“You're a great dancer, Akashi-kun.” Amami warmly smiled at the man. Due to her high heels they were around the same height, making her realize their faces were really close to one another. A slight blush started to emerge on her cheeks, a mixture of the exertion from the dance and the close proximity.

Akashi's eyes widened for a tiny moment when he noticed the blush, feeling his heart skip a beat. Not wanting to give it any more thought he quickly recovered his composure and smiled once more. “Thank you.. you look really beautiful tonight.” He instantly bit his tongue when he realized what he just blurted out.

“Thanks, you're looking pretty sharp yourself.” Amami giggled at how this conversation suddenly had turned around on them. 

“R-Right.. what I wanted to discuss with you..” Akashi tried his best to steer the conversation away from anything awkward, since it resulted himself into a bumbling mess. And Akashi is all sorts of things, but not a bumbling mess, thank you very much. “I've been thinking, it's still two and a half years for us to spend in University, so things might still change. But considering we should slowly start thinking about our future plans and having had a chat with your father... We thought it would perhaps be interesting for both parties if you would come work for my father, when you graduate.”

Even though she didn't stop dancing, mostly because Akashi had been a terrific leader, her brain did. She couldn't quite comprehend what the man in front of her was trying to say. “What.. exactly do you mean..? Well it's clear that you guys want me to work for.. your father. Do you mean independently? Or literally as an employee of the Akashi Corporation? Wait.. does that mean that I'd end up working for you as well? What exactly do you expect me to do there?” Her mind seemed to fill up with more questions at a fast pace. “Why would my father want this exactly? To strengthen the relationship between our father's companies?”

“My father's company could use someone like you. Your insights and know-how's have proven to be very successful. Your expertise and intelligence.. well, any company would want to have someone like you on board, Amami-kun. That's why I think I should try to be the first to scoop you away from future potential competition. Your father deemed it to be an excellent idea as well when I discussed it with him.” Akashi diplomatically explained her, trying to convince her.

“Riiiight.. It's still a bit too early to be thinking of such things, no? I mean, I'm not even sure in what direction I would want to go to begin with. And don't get me wrong, I'm truly flattered with how you praise me, but like you said, things can still drastically change in the upcoming years. I'll definitely take the offer into consideration for when the time comes, if by then the offer still stands, I'll let you know. But right now.. I don't know Akashi-kun, I'm not really sure if I would want to join a big corporation like that while doing something I might not like to begin with.” Amami started to ramble, not really sure on how to explain how she truly felt about this. First of all, she didn't think this was the place nor time to discuss such heavy matters and second, it was way too soon for her to be thinking of those things. In her eyes, she is at her brother's wedding, trying to enjoy her dance with her friend, which had become harder for her to do, giving the heavy subject of their conversation.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to bombard you with that question, it just seemed like a nice idea for the two of us.. Never mind, let's enjoy the evening.” Akashi tried to give her a sincere smile, his mind was becoming more clouded by the second the more he thought of it.

Amami noticed something was off with her friend as they continued their dance, not wanting to let the mood ruin their dance she decided to respond the only way she felt she could at the moment.

Slightly breaking free from the formal position they were dancing in, she started to move differently, almost childish, making Akashi stare at her in surprise. She simply replied him with a cocky smirk that said 'what are you going to do about it' before continuing her silly movements, dragging Akashi along. Akashi wasn't sure if he should try to keep up, regain control or give up at this moment, but her growing grin as she was once more enjoying herself made the answer for him. Slightly embarrassed, since this is certainly not how an Akashi danced, he continued his attempts to keep up with her quirky style until the song was over. Both laughing eventually when they noticed the horrified looks some people were displaying. She simply bowed and motioned for Akashi to do the same, earning them some chuckles from people around them.

“Thank you for the dance.” She bowed mockingly while still giggling at the thought.

“The pleasure was all.. mine..I think.” He smiled brightly, giving his looks a handsome boyish feature. 

Amami had never seen him smile so earnestly which made him look truly charming, she felt she had succeeded and even gotten more than what she aimed for by alleviating the sour mood from before.

“Let's head back to our table.” She almost dragged Akashi across the dance floor, not noticing her mother giving her a horrified expression that was surely blaming Takao for his bad influence over the past decade.

Little did Amami know what was waiting for her at their table. When they reached the table, both still chuckling and slightly out of breath from previous exertions, she aimed to take her seat. Before she could touch the cushion of the chair she was already being lifted up once more. A firm grip held her wrist and before she realized what was going on, she was already being dragged away from the table by her boyfriend.

“T-Taiga.. the dance floor is there.. if you want to.. Taiga are you.. listening?” She huffed as she tried to keep up, weaving through the mass of guests. When they finally stopped she noticed they were standing in a quiet hallway, away from the rest. Trying to catch her breath and thankful that her boyfriend finally gave her a moment to rest.

When she was mostly recovered she looked up at her boyfriend, a confused but amused smile looking up at him. “Taiga, what's going on?”

Kagami heatedly stared at her, not uttering a single word. He realized he didn't really think things through when he decided to drag her away from Akashi like a caveman. Now that they were well away from the evil boogieman, he wasn't sure what to say. The only thing he felt was his heart clenching painfully as he thought of her and Akashi. But what was he going to say 'You can't look at other men.'? That's ridiculous and he knew she, for one, wouldn't have any of that bullshit. Especially since said man had become their friend over the past few years, willing or not.

Amami grew worried as she noticed the pained expression Kagami was giving her, albeit unknowingly. She reached out to cup his cheek, trying to make her boyfriend focus once more. “Taiga, talk to me please..”

Her small voice, pleading her boyfriend, made something inside Kagami snap and before he realized it, he was firmly pressing her against the wall behind her. Her body trapped between his and the wall. 

When she tried her best not to lose balance by grabbing his shoulders, she looked up in his eyes. She sensed sadness, hurt and something else she couldn't identify in those bright red orbs she came to adore. She opened her mouth in another attempt to gain Kagami's focus, but it immediately got covered by his warm lips.

The kiss wasn't gentle like they used to kiss, it was harsh, unrelenting..wild. The act itself sent shivers all over her body, his attitude reminded her of when he played basketball, it wasn't sweet nor gentle. It felt electrifying and her entire body was now buzzing and thrumming to his actions. She started to kiss him back with the same fervor. Her hand had drifted lower over his broad chest which was now tightly clenching the fabric of his dark red button-up.

The sloppy but passionate kiss came to a brief halt when they needed air. Both panting, their breaths mingling as their lips still ghosted over the others'. Dark red eyes heatedly staring into bright shining emerald ones.

“T-Taiga..?” She breathlessly whispered, her fingernails raking over his chest so hard he thought the fabric was going to rip.

“Hng..” Was what he eloquently responded before he took her hand, dragging her away. His head whipping around as if searching for something. It wasn't until his eyes fell on a flight of stairs with a sign saying 'Roof access' on it that he had found what he was looking for. “Come..” Was all he could blurt out in his state as he started to drag his girlfriend, a little more careful this time, by her hand.

He made sure that no one saw them when they started to climb the stairs and decided to pick Amami up and throw her over his shoulder when her heels were making too much noise on the steps.

Amami's mind was still reeling from the passionate but short make out session that she barely registered being carried in such a daring fashion until they reached the top. An abrupt and chilling wind greeted the couple when Kagami shoved the door towards the roof open. The sudden cold, after being holed up in a very comfortable warmth of the party for so long, caused a barrage of goosebumps on her skin to break free. She let out a high-pitched yelp of surprise as she now realized they were on the roof. “Taiga~ why on earth are we out on the roof..?”

Kagami didn't respond but finally decided to put his girlfriend once more on the ground. Bending over slowly so she could carefully push herself off of his body. He immediately took both her hands, making sure to keep her balanced on those high heeled shoes, especially after a dizzying trip upside down on the stairs.

He looked down at his girlfriend, her eyes wide with surprise and confusion. 'Why are we here..? Isn't that clear?' He briefly wondered when flashes of Amami dancing with Akashi darted through his mind. It vexed him, he trusted Amami, he knew that she would never look at any other man the way she would look at him. So why was it, that it hurt so much, seeing them dance together? If he was honest with himself, he knew the reason deep down inside, he just didn't want to admit those feelings. Especially not when it involved Akashi. Before his train of thoughts continued he noticed her shiver as she wrapped her arms around her frame, glancing around uncomfortably, but patiently waiting for her boyfriend.

He closed the gap between them in an instant. He wanted to encase her small figure inside his arms, fight off the cold for her, but when he did his initial urges immediately surfaced once more. The warmth of her body emanated against him that it seeped through his clothes. Her beautiful bright green eyes looking up at him in such a loving manner that his breath hitched. Without much warning, or elegance for that matter, he slanted his lips once more on hers. His strong hand immediately slid through ginger strands of hair at the base of her skull. Firmly holding the back of her head as he tilted his for a better angle to deepen their kiss.

It was when he felt Amami reciprocating the kiss with the same amount of passion and lust, that he not so gently started to push her towards the wall next to the door they emerged from before. He pushed her against the concrete wall with enough force that she let out a gasp of surprise, which barely broke their heated kiss. His hands cupped her cheeks gently as a form of an apology before they drifted lower towards her neck. The tips of his fingers slightly brushing over the pulse-point, causing another burst of goosebumps to emerge on her skin. The other hand meanwhile slipped over her shoulder, with more force than the other was doing. Holding her firmly in place, his fingers kneading the muscle from her shoulder towards her upper arm.

One moment she shivered due to the late night crisp air hitting her skin, the other she felt an almost suffocating heat wrapping around her when Kagami had pushed her up against the wall. His tall figure engulfing her much smaller one while his hands roamed over her body. They felt like molten iron dripping over her skin, the warmth oozing deeply into her flesh, warming her entire body. She pressed both her hands on his chest, wanting to dig the tips of her fingers into the firm muscles that resided there. One hand snaked towards his neck and eventually rested at his nape, letting her fingers play with the fiery locks before needily clenching them and pulling him closer to her. The other hand remained on his chest, fingers splayed over his heart, feeling the thundering rhythm it was making in his rib cage.

They both let themselves get lost into their passionate make out session. Hands frantically roaming the others' body, pressing, squeezing, kneading the muscles underneath while their kisses only got interrupted by sharp intakes of air and pants. The longer they kissed, the more labored their breathing became and soft sighs turned into needy moans.

Seeing Amami was very much in the same needy state that he was, spurred Kagami further on. Only he could make her feel this way, it was only him that was the receiver of those longing gazes with full-blown lust. He let out a groan just thinking how she was his, always had been, always will. He took a hold of her one arm and briskly turned her around, pressing her back into his chest. Oh, how he loved the feeling of her tiny frame pressed against the bulky frame of his. She fit perfectly, their bodies easily merging with one another as he breathed in her scent when he pressed kisses in her neck. The way she always tilted her neck to give him the room he needed, told him that she loved it as much as he did.

Amami draped one arm behind her, resting it on his shoulder, to steady herself while pressing her body against his. Her lips parted and let out soft pants when she was enjoying the attention he was giving to her neck. “Tai.. Taiga~..” She murmured before biting her bottom lip, her hips instinctively jerked out against his groin when she couldn't keep up with the pleasure she was receiving.

He let out a breathy moan when he felt her ass suddenly rubbing against his groin, sending a jolt of pleasure through his spine. He let out an inaudible curse under his breath when his body tensed up resulting him in nipping his teeth over her pulse in her neck. Teeth scraping over skin, alternated by gentle bites and licks to appease the irritated skin. His left hand cupped her breast, kneading it, while his other hand started to hike up the silk green dress. When his hand managed to find its way underneath her dress, he wasted no time and immediately cupped the warm place between her thighs. His half erect length now fully awakening when he felt just how wet she already was. Pressing his now very hard and needy erection up against her butt, slowly rubbing against the supple yet firm flesh. When he slid his hand in her underwear to slip his fingers into her folds, he fully realized how soaked she already was, making him groan aloud, his teeth pressing against the skin of her neck. Being so enraptured by his own pleasure he didn't notice the effect he had on her until now. He noticed she was now shaking on her legs, pressing her hands against the concrete wall as a last resort to keep her steady. Her eyes screwed shut while her mouth was slightly open, panting with need.

“God... Seo.. I want you so badly..” He breathily whispered in her ear, making her visibly shiver at the action. He nibbled the shell of her ear as he stroked her clit between her folds, it didn't take long for his fingers to be dripping from her wetness. He let out a shudder at the feel and rubbed his erection once more against her plump rear, relishing the pleasure it gave him.

“Taiga.. please, f-fuck me.. already.” Was what Amami could only muster at this point. She needed him as badly as he needed her. His breath tickling the sensitive skin of her neck, his voice sending sinful pleasure in her ear. The way he was massaging her breast while the other was giving her pleasure that was quickly building into the very core of her. She was more than ready and willing to feel him fill her up entirely.

A combination of having his girlfriend plead him and use such bold words to express her very own need made something snap inside of him. In a blur he was opening the buckle of his belt, unzipping and unbuttoning his pants before unceremoniously letting his pants and boxer drop to his ankles. Not even fazed by the sudden cold air hitting his erection that already had pre-cum dripping at the tip. Ruffling her dress upwards, pushing the fabric into her own hand, motioning for her to hold it up. When she did he was being granted a view he could always appreciate of her in dark red laced underwear. He quickly hooked his thumbs under the waist band and dragged the garment down to her ankles. He lifted her left leg up, hooking it over his arm to keep her steady while his other hand guided his length towards her entrance. “Are you ready?” He lined himself up with her entrance, his tip already pushing against her flesh when she answered a breathy 'yes'. When she did he strongly slammed in, fully sheathing himself. This caused both to cry out with sudden pleasure. For a few seconds he remained still, afraid he would burst right then and there from the initial pleasure flooding his body. It also gave Amami a small moment to adjust to his girth inside of her.

Those few seconds felt like an eternity when all she wanted was for him to move. She pushed back against him needily, letting out a small and impatient whine, urging him to start moving already. When he finally did she braced herself against the wall as much as she could while standing on one leg. Kagami was still holding up her left leg to help her, but it sure was tricky to keep her balance on heels. Jutting out her hips, slightly bending over against the wall (for as much as she could), she gave him easier access. Hissing in pleasure as he started a steady and strong pace thrusting inside of her.

This was not how they usually had sex. Sure they changed it up frequently to keep it fresh and interesting every time. But they always had been gentle with each other, taken their time with foreplay. Making sure both were ready before even beginning the main dish, it's what they enjoyed the most. The intimate and loving feeling always shared between them when they made sweet love to each other. This, however, was new to them. They moved so fast and honestly, it felt just as amazing. Even though the build up wasn't as elaborate as usual, it wasn't needed. Their lust for each other so strong that they seemed to have instantly jumped into it. This wasn't going to take long either. 

Kagami, feeling the warmth and tight muscles around his length, cried out with a groan before he started to rut at a very fast pace. His right hand holding her hip so hard, that he was sure there would be bruises later. He wasn't careful when he slammed mercilessly inside his girlfriend, who was now being pushed against the wall with each thrust he made. And she loved it, she was loudly moaning out his name, her fingernails scraping into the concrete wall.

“Tai..ga.. ffuuuck.. I-I can't..nngh..” She felt her special spot being hit with every thrust he made in her, driving her towards the edge at a fast pace. The familiar coil in her lower abdomen tightening dangerously as wave after wave of pleasure pushed her further. She felt her muscles tighten over his length, enhancing the pleasure further.

“Hngg.. Seo.. tight.. gonna..” When he felt her muscles almost painfully tight on his length made his rhythm unpredictable. His thrusts now more pointed towards that one special spot of hers and with much more force than before, sent Amami over the edge. She screamed out his name as she rode out her orgasm, muscles twitching deliciously around him. In the heat of the moment he pressed his teeth against her nape and sunk his teeth into her skin. The sharpness of his teeth threatening to break the skin. With the last few, but powerful, thrusts, he finally came as well making him groan against her nape.

They stood there for a few moments, slowly descending from their orgasm induced high. Their breathing slowly calming down when Kagami gently lowered Amami's leg while pressing his body against hers, making sure she wouldn't fall. Peppering the violated skin of her neck with gentle kisses while hugging her firmly.

Amami let go of the fabric, letting the dress fall back into place. Her body firmly sandwiched between the concrete wall and her boyfriend. She let an out of breath chuckle. “That.. was interesting..”

“Mmmhm..” Was all Kagami could voice at the time being before he tucked himself into his pants once more. Darting lower, he slid her underwear back up to its rightful place, not wanting his girlfriend to exert herself further.

“Amazing though..” She placed her arms over her boyfriends arms which were now hugging her from behind. Slowly regaining her strength into her legs.

“Oh yeah,.. definitely.” Kagami smirked and pecked the bite mark on her nape which slowly started to make its presence in a nasty shade of dark purple.

Amami hissed in discomfort when she suddenly felt pain erupt when he kissed her there. She quickly placed her hand on it, not immediately realizing the origin.

“S-Sorry about that.. I think you're going to have to cover that up..” His voice didn't carry the sincere regret it should have when she felt his lips smirk against the growing bruise.

Amami lets out a harsh chuckle with disbelief when she turned her head slightly so she could look up at her boyfriend, noticing his smug face. “That was a sad attempt at apologizing, Kagami-san” Knowing he didn't like it when she called him that, earning herself a small scowl from him. “How bad is it..?” She ignored the scowl, clearly unimpressed with it.

“Erh.. pretty bad, we won't be able to lie our way through this, especially with our long absence, if you don't find a way to cover it up.” He scratched his cheek thoughtfully.

“I love how fast 'we' becomes 'you' at the covering up part.” Amami huffs out indignantly, not surprised at how Kagami leaves it all up to her to fix their current dilemma.

“Hey, you're the problem solver of the two of us, it's what you do best.” Kagami gives Amami his best attempt to bring out a charming grin, armed with a compliment.

Amami throws her arms up in defeat at the lack of cooperation from her boyfriend. Which made her realize she could easily use her hair to cover it up when her hand brushed her bun. Grabbing the hairpin with her fingers she quickly made work to remove it, letting her long ginger hair fall down over her shoulders and back. Tossing both her hands into her locks, ruffling it slightly. “I'll need the restroom to freshen up anyway, I'll fix my hair while I'm at it, we'll be fine. No.. I'll be fine... you...” She gave him a glare which was interrupted by a firm but loving kiss from her boyfriend.

“Let's go back inside..” He murmured, feeling much more relieved and satisfied than when they left the party before.

After their visit to the restroom to freshen themselves up they made their way back towards the party. Earning themselves several stares from their friends, having wondered what the two had been up to.

“We went out to get some fresh air.” Amami simply smiled, answering their unspoken question.

Takao's smile grew into an all-knowing smirk after putting two and two together, but didn't say a word. He merely continued staring at Amami which successfully made her feel uncomfortable.

Amami let her fingers brush through her now loose strands of hair, making sure the bruise was well covered from prying, in this case eyes with hawk-eye vision. Returning Takao's smirk with a threatening glare. The 'I dare you' kind of glare, challenging the raven-haired man to rat them out.

“Ah, there is my sister, I finally found you! It's like you were hiding from us, you know you can't escape the bouquet toss that easily. Kagami-kun, I'm going to have to borrow her for a moment.” Ushio, clearly tipsy from the wine, took his sister by the hand and immediately dragged her off towards a group of over-excited women. He didn't give Amami a chance to bicker as he unceremoniously shoved her into the group, signaling people that they were finally ready.

It took only a few minutes before the room got reasonably quiet, giving the group of women, who were now herded together like cattle in front of the bride, their attention. The group consisted of women of all sorts of ages, a few kids who were clearly way past their bedtime. Some older and clearly drunk women and then a large group of women who seemed to be the friends of the bride. Screaming in excitement at the mini event, telling their friend she had to toss the flowers towards them. Amami tried her best not to roll her eyes and simply smiled when the bride turned around, her back now facing the group. 

Amami noticed a small girl standing in front of her, even though she seemed tired, the excitement seemed to have been contagious making the child slightly jump from one leg to the other, preparing herself. She giggled at the girls' eagerness before she addressed her. “Hey, do you want those flowers?” She gently asked the girl to which the kid shyly nodded her head. “Alright, I'll do my best for you, okay?” Amami winked towards the girl which caused her to let out a little shriek of excitement.

“Are the beautiful ladies ready?” The bride yelled while looking back over her shoulder, laughing. The women started yelling, indicating that they were born ready for this. “Here it cooooomes~!” And with that the bride puts her back behind the swing, successfully tossing the bouquet over her shoulder towards the women who were now pushing up against each other in order to retrieve the flowers.

It's when Amami noticed that the flowers were heading towards her, that she looked down at the girl in front of her. “Here we go!” She quickly picked the girl up under her arms and raised her into the air, hoping the girl could reach the flowers in time. 

The flowers landed straight into the child's hands, who was now letting out a a childish 'yaaay' while waving the bouquet in the air triumphantly.

“You did it! You caught the flowers.” Amami gently placed the giggling girl back on the ground, ignoring the foul stares she was definitely gaining from the women around her. “You'd better find a sweet boy so you can marry him now, huh?” She ruffled the girls' hair, starting to turn around to walk back towards her table.

“Wait! Uuuuhm.. here, you can have this one, miss!” The girl tore one of the flowers from the bouquet and held it out for Amami.

“Aaw, thank you, I'll take good care of it.” She crouched in front of the girl, accepting the flower before placing it behind her ear which caused the girls' eyes to twinkle.

“Uwaah, you're so pretty now!” The girl beamed up as she saw the flower stuck in Amami's locks behind her ear. “Me too!” She shoved her chubby hand into the bouquet, quickly tearing another flower out of it and nudging it towards Amami's hands.

Amami earnestly laughed at the weird compliment she just received before placing the flower behind the girls' ear as well. “Now we're both pretty.” She winked and said her goodbye, leaving a very proud girl in her wake.

“I'm not sure that's how the tradition works, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of those women are going to retaliate towards you now.” Takao smiled at Amami when she plopped down on her chair.

“Ah well.. she really wanted those flowers..” Amami simply shrugged, suddenly feeling very tired.

Asides sending Amami some foul glares, the women decided to accept their fate for the rest of the evening. The later in the evening it became, the more guests started to leave. Amami and the gang being among those, not being the 'party hardy' kind of people to begin with. They had said their goodbyes towards the family, thanked them for the invitation and wished the newlyweds once more their best wishes before making their leave.


	14. Chapter 14

“I'm not forcing you into anything Seo, I'm telling you to really think carefully before making decisions. You have two years before you graduate and you already have wonderful job offers, not everyone is as lucky as you are and you're just throwing them away!” Amami's father raised his voice as they sat in his living room.

“I'm not 'just throwing them away'. I want to decide for myself when the time finally comes. Is it that bad if I want to do things my way?” Amami huffed out in frustration, she could not comprehend why her father had been so stubborn about this subject. It was her life, right? She was entitled to decide for herself whether she wanted to work for him, Akashi or some unknown company. If she was honest with herself, the idea of being an independent consultant had appealed to her the most. She would be her own boss, decide everything for herself instead of doing the bidding of some fancy CEO.

“Seo, there's a difference between wanting to do things your way and being able to. You can't just graduate and expect everything to turn out just fine with that attitude. You need a plan _and_ a backup plan. And we're offering you both, why can't you understand this?!” Her father heaved out the last sentence, wondering when his daughter had became so stubborn.

“Who says I want to work for you? You already have Ushio, why can't you be happy with that? Do you really need to drag me into your company as well?! And working for the Akashi corporation? His son is a close friend of mine, it's just weird. Besides I want to make my own footprints in that world _without_ my father or friends holding my hand.” Amami yelled out, slamming her fist on the coffee table. 

In hindsight, she should've calmed down first, rationalize things and think of a better thing to say. The way she had said things now only ended up in hurting her own father, which she never wanted to. But what she said was how she truly felt about it, she didn't want people to hold her hands while she enjoyed the easy life. She had worked so hard and she'd be damned if she would toss those years of hard work and effort away so life would be 'easy' for her.

“Damn it, Seo! I'm not forcing you into anything and you make it sound as if working for your own father sounds like such a nightmare! Yes, Ushio is with us too, no I don't _have_ to have you as well. I'm just concerned for my only daughter and want to help her, since I know how hard it can be. Believe me, Seo, it _will_ be hard, _especially_ for you! It's a man's world and a lot of people think it's no place for a woman.” Her father bit through the hurt he was feeling at his daughters' blatant rejection, but he knew all too well how hard the corporate life could be. And he had enough years of experience to have his own accumulated wisdom, he wanted to protect her from this.

“Well, let those chauvinistic pigs ruin their own company, I'll live my own life, whether you like it or not!” Amami hissed out through clenched teeth. She briskly stood up and started to head towards the door. “I'm going home, I got a game to watch tonight.” Which she did, Kagami's team was playing the final of the Tokyo tournament of the year and she wasn't going to miss it because her old man decided to push her around and in her mind force her to do his bidding.

“Ah yes, Kagami-kun who also carelessly thinks he doesn't need a plan for his future.” Her father blurted out, his mind too caught up in pent up rage. The moment those words escaped his lips, he knew he fucked up.

Amami didn't give him a chance to fully regret his own actions as she immediately whipped around, her eyes sending her very own father a seething glare. “Are you going to try and meddle with my love life too, now? Taiga is talented enough, he'll find his own way through life, just like I will.” At those last words, she whipped around once more, stomping her way towards the door, not giving the dumbfounded man behind her a chance to retort as she slammed the door shut behind her.

She pushed her helmet on before plopping herself down on her trusted moped, grumbling loudly into the helmet. She had never felt so furious in her entire life, her father had been standing behind her ever since she was little but the moment she showed she didn't wanted to do exactly what he told her, he'd lashed out and even went that far to bring up Kagami. This wasn't about Kagami, this wasn't about her father nor Akashi, this was about Amami and what she had wanted. The lack of trust her own father had in her felt extremely disheartening and hurtful.

She was another ten minutes away from her home, still grumbling and arguing into her helmet when her moped started to sputter to an eventual stop. She dragged the vehicle towards the side of the road, twisting her keys and revving up the motor once more without any success. Sputters were the only thing Mopi did at the moment. 

'I thought I still had enough gas..' She checked the meter which indicated she still had more than half a tank's worth of gas. 'Weird..' She kept trying to kick life into the vehicle but even the loud sputtering from before quickly became gurgling wheezes and eventually complete silence.

After several more minutes of desperate attempts to get the machine back to life, she had admitted defeat. She pulled her helmet off and hung it on her steering wheel, deciding to push Mopi home for several more kilometers towards her apartment. Not really having any other options.

When she finally arrived, she was drenched in sweat, it wasn't easy to push a moped around for that long. She was however grateful that she finally had made it.

“I'm home..” She barely breathed out, kicking her shoes off, noticing a few sets of extra shoes. 'Ah, they must already be here.. is it that late already?' She wondered as she entered the living room.

“Welcome ho--” Kise and Momoi started cheerfully until they noticed the state of Amami. “What happened, Amami-cchi?! Why are you sweating like that?” The blonde gave her a worried expression when he noticed that there was something off.

“Mopi.. broke down. I had to push him all the way here.. hello everyone..” She greeted the colorful bunch that consisted of Midorima, Momoi, Kise and Akashi, without much enthusiasm. “I'm going to take a shower and get ready..” Amami didn't wait for a response when she was already dragging her feet towards her bedroom, gathering some fresh clothes before quietly making her way into the shower.

“Mopi..?” Momoi asked in confusion, looking at Midorima.

“It seems I was too late to tell Amami that it would be a bad day for Scorpio's.. Mopi is her moped, she went to visit her parents today so she must have walked quite the distance with it, nanodayo.” Midorima explained the bunch while pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Having known the woman for quite some years now, even the usually oblivious Midorima felt there was something wrong with Amami. Cursing to himself that Takao wasn't here for their friend, since he wasn't the man with many words like his boyfriend was. “I should've shoved the gnome into her purse before she left this morning..” He lowly muttered towards himself while preparing a cup of green tea for her.

Akashi's eyebrows were knitted with worry, thinking of the troubled expression Amami wore. He knew she loved her moped and riding around town on it, but that much to cause such an expression? He had a feeling there was more going on than she showed. 'She can bring it to a garage to let someone fix it or buy another one, for that matter.' He thought.

Meanwhile in the bathroom Amami was quickly washing herself, not wanting to be late for the game tonight. Her mind however kept going back towards the conversation with her father. The more she thought about it, the more upset she started to become. She wisely decided to try and keep her mind from straying to those thoughts and hurried out of the shower to get dressed.

“I'm sorry for making you guys wait!” She stood in their living room, bowing her apology towards her friends.

“It's alright, Amami-cchi, we still have plenty of time!” Kise cheerfully beamed, his sunny personality brightening the room.

“Here, drink up.” Midorima pushed a cup of her favorite tea towards Amami, pushing his glasses up his nose to hide his own unease.

“Oh, I know! Why don't you let Dai-chan look at your moped? He's actually pretty good with fixing things. When he's not being lazy..” Momoi placed her fist into her palm at her own idea while nodding.

“That man is not allowed near Mopi.” Amami noted flatly, not even wanting to imagine what the idiot would do to it. “But thank you, nonetheless.” She looked towards her friends with a small smile.

“Shall we get going then, before we actually _are_ too late for the opening?” Akashi stated as he was already heading towards the hallway.

The train-ride went as any other ride would be in the presence of the colorful bunch; loud and over-bearing. Mainly Kise and Momoi chatting away excitedly, to the other passengers' dismay. The others calmly interjecting once in a while, except for Amami who had remained quiet. She was too caught up with her own thoughts that she didn't notice the several subtle glances she received from Akashi.

They arrived just in time to find some decent placed seats for the five of them. Amami sat in the middle with Momoi and Kise to her left and Akashi and Midorima to her right. The moment the announcer started to introduce their team, Kise and Momoi jumped up and started to cheer for their friends. The other three had opted to stay seated. This surprised Akashi, since Amami was known for her exuberant moments, especially with moments like these. He glanced to his left, taking in her warm and loving expression. The worry and sadness he saw from before, melting away as she looked at her boyfriend who was talking with his team at their bench on the court. A large gnome stood next to the bench, Scorpio's lucky item for today. Oha-Asa stated to be a bad day for Scorpio's, just like Amami, Takao was one himself.

It hurt. He accepted his sudden feelings for the woman next to him a while ago and knew well enough that this would never end up well for him. He slowly accepted that fact as well, but he couldn't help but feel the pain when he knew that she only had eyes for Kagami. Just simply seeing her boyfriend already, chased away the bad feelings she was having all night. He couldn't do it even if he tried. But he had decided not to act on his feelings and hope that they'd die out given some time. 

Amami heard Akashi huff out next to her, not noticing his bitter smile that quickly disappeared the moment she looked at him. A bright smile on her lips. “Wishing you were playing instead?” She asked innocently.

“Something like that.” He responded with a solemn look before turning his attention back towards the game that was about to begin.

The main line-up existed of Aomine as the power forward, Kagami their center, Takao the point guard and Kuroko the usual elusive passing specialist. The fifth member was someone Kagami had mentioned several times before, but Amami never succeeded in remembering the name, but he seemed to be their shooting guard. They had come a long way during the last two years. Suddenly having Aomine and Kagami shoved in the same team was just asking for trouble, but somehow they managed to balance it out. They were now accustomed to each other and it showed on the court. Easily able to switch around their positions between them with their trusty shadow having their backs like old times. The team being led by Takao's hawk-eye vision and impeccable insight, bringing their strategies to succeed most of the time. The opposite team fought back with great tenacity however and showed great strength, making the game close and exciting.

The first half was done and the players were now given their break for ten minutes. This had given Amami the time to excuse herself to head towards the restroom. When she walked out of the restroom she was surprised to find Akashi waiting for her. 

“Ah, I didn't know you were waiting, Akashi-kun, sorry.” Amami mustered a small smile and that same forlorn look from before had taken residence on her expression once more.

“Is everything alright, Amami-kun?” His bright red eyes bore into hers, looking intimidating.

Amami froze slightly at the severity of her friends' gaze before giving him a more sincere, yet sad smile. “I'll be fine, thank you.”

He hated it. She was the person to shrug off bad things and keep going, seeing them more as challenges to overcome. When he looked at her now, she seemed so insecure, shutting down on herself. He had a vague idea of what happened earlier today. “Did something happen at your parents' place?”

This startled Amami, looking up into very calculating eyes. Of course Akashi would be observant and smart enough to read her like an open book. She didn't expect him to be so blunt about it, however. “Ah.. we.. had an argument.” She immediately felt so small, under his scrutiny, not wanting to lie to him either. “It's stupid, really..” Not sure who she was trying to convince the last bit to.

“Doesn't seem stupid if it upsets you this much. Does it perhaps have anything to do with my offer I made back at the wedding?” He motioned her to walk with him towards a more secluded place with some benches. 

Amami followed and took a seat before Akashi went to sit next to her, his gaze still piercing her. “He.. wanted to talk about it indeed and I had answered him honestly. That I don't know what I am going to do yet. The same I told you back then when you offered me the job. He didn't take it lightly however. He started to get annoyed when I told him that I wanted to do things my own way. I don't know how it suddenly escalated that badly, but before I knew it I had said very stupid things.” She didn't look at him when she explained Akashi what happened before. Realizing that she acted immature and disrespectful towards her own father, the guilt seemed to eat her alive. That was what was bothering her before as well, but her anger kept pushing it back, too blind to realize her own faults.

“Your father seems like a very reasonable man to me and he loves his family very much. I'm sure you two can talk things through.” Akashi softly reminded her

When Amami heard that, she looked up at him. Feeling even stupider now, considering his experience with his not so reasonable father. “I..know, thank you Akashi-kun.” She warmly smiled before hugging the man next to her. She wanted to punch herself for acting like a brat towards her father, for hurting him and now for having Akashi making her realize how lucky she actually is.

Akashi couldn't form a word, just seconds ago he was calmly giving her advice, now he was either frozen or shaking like a leaf, he wasn't sure at this moment. His heart hammering against his rib-cage when she so shamelessly hugged him. She was even closer than during their dance and it turned him into a big mess. He wanted to push her away, stop her from making him feel so distressed. But it felt so good at the same time, he was conflicted so he didn't move.

Amami broke their embrace and showed him a small but warm smile. “I'm sorry to have bothered you with that, Akashi-kun.”

“Ah, it's quite alright Amami-kun, I hope I helped you out, if only a little.. You seemed quite upset..” '..I don't like to see you upset' He decides not to say that last part aloud.

Amami stood up, now with a bright smile looking down to where Akashi was still sitting. “Mmm! You did, thanks! I'll visit him tomorrow and patch things up with him.”

Akashi's heart decided, unlike the sickening pace it was beating before, to skip a beat instead when he saw her usual smile brimming with confidence. Ready to tackle any challenge ahead of her. Her returned cheerfulness infecting him, he smiled that rare bright smile before following her back towards their seats.

They returned back in time for the second half of the game to begin. They played fiercely as they slowly started to overtake the opposition. The raw talent of Aomine and Kagami undeniable as they turned the point gap bigger and bigger. Their techniques much more refined than when they played in high school, making it painfully clear towards the other team that victory was going to be theirs. They wouldn't relent however, they kept giving their all until the last whistle was blown. The game ended with 122-89 for them, making them the winner of the tournament. The crowd cheered and applauded for both teams when they lined up.

**************

“Wasn't Tetsu-kun just amazing~?” Momoi swooned while almost crushing her boyfriend into her ample bosom.

“Satsuki-kun.. that hurts.” Kuroko smiled when the woman relinquished her death-grip and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

“Can't you two stop being gross for once?!” Aomine barked without much heat at his friends.

“Aomine-cchi is jealous-ssu!” Kise wrapped his arm around Aomine's neck to further annoy the tanned man. “I think Momoi-cchi and Kuroko-cchi are cute.”

“The hell Kise.. why should I be jealous of them. If you would live together with those, even _you_ would get sick of 'that'.” He slapped the blondes hand away from his shoulder and added a slap up his head on top of that.

Takao laughed loudly at the display. “We're not like that, right, Seo-chan?”

“You're worse.” She responded instantly, face serious.

“Don't lie, Amami..” Midorima huffed.

Amami stuck her tongue out, hugging the free arm of Kagami while his other was effortlessly bringing one cheeseburger after the other towards the black hole, also known as his mouth.

“You're all gross! When did the lot of you all decide to become disgusting couples anyway?” Aomine exclaimed, humor hinting his voice. “If you guys weren't so caught up with each other, you'd almost have a chance to beat me.” He leered at Kagami.

“As if Ahomine, I can take you on any day!” Kagami blurted out, pieces of food slightly spraying in the air.

And with that the two of them started their usual bickering, leaving Amami to walk alone.

“Kagami-cchi, is it really that wise to leave your woman alone with us? You know someone might swoop in to steal her away while you're too busy flirting with Aomine-cchi.” As if to show exactly what the blonde meant, Kise swooped down in one fluid motion and wrapped his arm playfully around Amami's shoulders.

“What was tha-” Kagami turns around to turn his glare from Aomine towards Kise.

“Don't touch her, Kise.” Akashi's eyes glaring threateningly towards the model, making Kise let go of Amami as if he was being burnt by her.

“Yes, captain-ssu.” He pouted like a kicked puppy.

“Akashi-kun isn't our captain anymore, Kise-kun. You shouldn't address him as such.” Kuroko stated before sipping his vanilla milkshake.

“Not you too, Kuroko-cchi~!” The blonde whined even louder.

The group continued their antics, making sure people around them could hear them. Most likely no one dared to say anything to the large group that had quite some intimidating looking guys. They all seemed to be having fun however and in their mind they were entitled on some good fun, having just won the tournament, so they wanted to celebrate it. While everyone was laughing and talking animatedly, Midorima was glancing towards Akashi with a slight frown.

Not long after, they all decided to make their way home. The game had taken its toll on half of the group, so they decided to get their well deserved rest. Amami went to visit her parents the next day and thoroughly apologized towards her father. The two talked things through, just like Akashi had told her and even though they wouldn't fully agree with each other just yet, they managed to accept it and move on.

**************

Not long after the tournament, the exam period had begun once more. Putting our friends once more to the test. The ends of the exams immediately putting their second year of their College/Uni to an end. For most of them this was going to be their last year before graduating, except for Midorima, Akashi and Amami.

Sadly enough, Mopi didn't make it. After sending it to the garage in hopes of fixing whatever was broken, it ended up with Amami having to say goodbye to her trusted moped. The poor thing was too old and deemed beyond repair. They held a small service at her place, mainly to comfort the sad woman. She now faced her last two years of Uni, commuting by train.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello once more! I hope you've enjoyed the story so far.. well seeing that you managed to read up until this chapter, I'm going to assume I did something right with this one. At any rate, I'd like to thank the people who've been following, favoriting and posting comments on this story on both sites. That helped me motivate to continue writing the second part whenever I felt like I had fallen in a slump with it. So with that: thank you so much *bows*.
> 
> Like I've mentioned in the first chapter, this was planned to be the first part, holding 15 chapters in it, so.. yeah.. this is it for now hehe ^^. I plan to finish the second part sooner or later, I sadly can't give you an eta though, it shall depend on my mood. But I already have around 8 chapters so far, which means that I will definitely post it. It will be the second part of this story called: Her coolth. It'll be added to this one as series. The reason for that is mainly because I don't know when it'll be finished and moreover, the second part has a lot more angst and in general, a bit more raw feelings in it. Since the first part was.. well mainly all fluff and mostly positive content. So this gives people, who aren't interested into angsty content, the chance to back out. For whoever is still interested into reading the second part: I suggest you to hit the subscribe button, so you'll be notified whenever I start posting Her coolth. Or if you're as obsessed like me, you'll refresh this site every 20 seconds to wait for new stories. Whatever tickles your fancy! :p
> 
> At any rate, feel free to comment your thoughts on my story, share ideas, point stuff out to me that I did wrong. As long as it's all in a respectful and/or constructive way, I'll be more than happy since this really was my first real story I wrote and.. I even had the gall to post it. Needless to say I'm a big noob, writing wise, so I'd like to learn from this!
> 
> Wow ok, I just told myself to keep this small note minimal and look at me yap away.. Ima shut up now and let you read the final chapter of part 1. I'll throw in a few bits and pieces at the end of the second part, see it as some sort of teaser, trailer.. appetizer.. warning o.O (here I go again~)
> 
> Enjoy and I'll hopefully see you again whenever Her coolth is out! o/

Whoever thought that watching the latest horror movie in the theater for a double date was a good idea, was wrong. They'd all decided to watch a movie followed by dinner as their double date. Everything seemed to be going as planned, until Momoi decided it would be fun to catch the latest horror flick everyone in college seemed to rant about. Little did she know that one of their group simply couldn't handle the concept of 'ghosts' very well.

There they were however, sitting next to each other, lights from the giant screen flickering over their faces. Kuroko who was sitting right next to the stairs calmly watching the screen in front of him with his usual poker-face. Momoi, who sat next to him, clinging to Kuroko's arm, her eyes wide open and yelping whenever another jump scare dramatically boomed through the speakers. Then you had Amami who was distracted given the circumstances she was in, giving her boyfriend small shoves and chuckles. He sat between the wall and his girlfriend, or.. behind her which had earned him previous mentioned shoves.

Thankfully the movie eventually ended, giving Momoi and Kagami a much deserved breather.

"I was so scared Tetsu-kun~! Especially when they were in the basement and the lights turned off! It was so much fun." Momoi was still squeezing Kuroko's arm and placed her head on his shoulder as they were walking towards the restaurant that held their reservation.

"Satsuki-kun, the movie is over, you can let go of my arm now." Kuroko gave her one of his rare smiles before quickly offering her his hand instead to hold onto. For once he didn't complain how the woman was hurting him with her eager grip on him.

"Would you come back for me, Tetsu-kun?" The woman was now referring to the couple in the movie where the man bravely fought to return his beloved back to safety.

"Of course, Satsuki-kun, they wouldn't know what happened to them." He said in his typical neutral manner while flexing his small arm.

It seemed the only person able to be impressed by that action was so indeed and started to coo loving words towards her boyfriend. It was then that Amami decided to zone out of their conversation.

Amami looked over to her other side, checking if the unusually quiet Kagami had recovered meanwhile. She noted his skin was still pale and he still seemed to be fidgeting while his eyes were moving quickly, scanning his environment. "Taigaaa~.." She uttered in a teasing way, gaining no reaction from the man. Tugging his hand slightly she continued to attract her boyfriend's attention, raising her voice slightly. "Taiga-kuuun~.." Her smile brightened as the redhead finally looked over to her.

"Uh? Sorry, what was that?" He looked to his left, noticing the devious glint in his girlfriend's eyes making his body freeze momentary.

Amami softly chuckled, quickly deciding for herself it wouldn't be wise to tease the man any further.. for now. She simply squeezed his hand gently while brushing herself up to him making him relax a little.

They arrived at the restaurant that was carefully picked by Amami, having taken in consideration what everyone sort of liked. Refusing to go to Maji Burger as the two men first had suggested. _'If we're going on a double date, I want to do it proper!'_ She had stated before, not brooking no for an answer. Momoi immediately had agreed, there was only so much milkshakes and cheeseburgers a woman can stomach.

The food was great and the portions were big enough for Kagami to last a few hours until the Bottomless Pit demanded some more. As the evening progressed they ended up going to a cozy looking bar, wanting to enjoy their evening to the fullest. It didn't happen a lot that the four of them managed to find a free evening at the same time due to their studies and basketball-practice. They continued their conversations about anything they were interested in while enjoying the buzz of the sake the bar was known for.

Even though Amami wasn't so much of a lightweight when it came down to alcohol, it quickly became clear that sake was another thing. For some mysterious reason she couldn't handle the beverage at all, making the woman drunk pretty fast while the others were merely tipsy.

"-Strue! I saw.. thappening.. Kazu was dere too..~" Amami slurred deeply, raising her finger to make a point. That moment Amami got distracted by 'focusing' on her finger instead, muttering a 'that's far..' more to herself this time. Which resulted in the rest blinking owlishly at the scene in front of them before bursting out in chuckles.

"I think Amami-kun should drink some water instead." Kuroko interjected when he saw Amami reach for the bottle of sake they were sharing.

Kagami caught on and gently took Amami's wrist before her swaying hand reached said bottle. "You're right.. I've never seen her get so drunk before.." Kagami offered while checking the percentage of alcohol on the bottle. His brows furrowing slightly as the percentage wasn't anything spectacular making him wonder why Amami had taken a turn for the worse suddenly.

Momoi meanwhile had poured Amami a glass of water, placing it in front of her. "Perhaps we should go home, it's getting late anyway. You two can stay over if you want, since our apartment is closer than your homes, Kagamin." The woman offered the couple, knowing they lived quite the distance from where they were right now and given Amami's situation..

"Ah, if you guys don't mind, it would be a pain in the ass to drag her home like this.." Kagami smiled at Momoi before rolling his eyes as he noticed Amami eyeing the glass of water with suspicion when she drank from it.

"It's no problem at all, Kagami-kun, you two can sleep in my old bedroom." Kuroko told them while motioning a waiter for the bill, without much success.

Half an hour later they found themselves at the apartment the couple lived in. Momoi immediately went to find some clothes for Amami to wear for the night while Kuroko had snuck into Aomine's room to steal some of his for Kagami's sake.

After bouts of giggling, yelping and stumbling Kagami finally managed to get his girlfriend in the offered clothes, giving him room to change his own clothes. Kuroko simply stood in the hallway, waiting patiently so he could eventually point them his old bedroom. "You'll both have to sleep in these futons though, since I've moved my bed towards Satsuki's room." He motioned towards the two futons on the ground, ready for the couple. Bowing slightly, he made his leave. "Goodnight Kagami-kun, Amami-kun."

Kagami tried to get his girlfriend to crawl into the futon while she was still under the influence of the alcohol. More bouts of giggling erupted from the woman as Kagami simply failed to get the ginger in her futon. "Seo, stop poking me there.. go get some sleep."

Amami stuck her tongue out while half of her body was hanging out of the futon, trying to crawl her way towards Kagami. Her hand being held in the air by Kagami as the woman stubbornly kept poking him. "Dun wanna..."

Kagami's stupefied expression at his girlfriends manner of speech grew once more. "Sake is bad for you." He frowned before pushing his girlfriend not so gently into the futon. Given his strength and general larger size, he was rather successful.

Amami was now lying in her futon, the blanket draped over her head as she was lying on her stomach. A pout streaking her not so focused gaze. It was then that she grabbed the blanket next to her face with both hands, covering her face partially. She started to giggle before shuffling like a caterpillar towards Kagami. "Taaaaiga.. I'm gonna get yaaa~.." She honestly didn't mean to resemble like the ghost from the movie earlier. In her mind she was a beautiful caterpillar making her way towards the poor man next to her.

"GEH! Seo, stop that! I'm serious.. oi.. this is creepy." He shuffled himself further away from the very slowly heap of futon nearing him.

"Taigaaaa~"

Kagami had enough, the fear of earlier that evening returning because his girlfriend decided to tease him unknowingly with it. He took hold of his pillow and slammed it against her head, not so softly. "Enough already!"

"Hmph!" The inebriated woman not suited to defend herself from incoming attack instantly fell flat into her own futon at the impact of the feathery pillow. Her face planting in her own pillow. The action had caused her bladder to wake up and decided that now was a time as good as any to protest. She groaned at the sensation, knowing what she had to do. "Taiga.. need to pee~.."

"Are you a child or something? Go pee before you wet your pants!" He exclaimed, refusing to help the woman who had been terrorizing him a few moments before.

"Tsk.. fine.." She mumbled before mustering all her energy and focus into getting up from the futon and make her way out of the bedroom.

She still sort of remembered where the restroom was so it only took her a little bit of effort into finding it. When she was done washing her hands she ventured once more into the dark hallway. Swaying from left to right while brushing her hand against the wall to keep her steady. Finally finding the doorknob, she turned it and entered the bedroom once more. She shuffled her way forwards until her hands blindly found the bed she was looking for. She eased her body 'silently', as much as her drunk state would let her, into the bed. The bed creaking slightly under her weight.

"Taigaaa.. are you still mad?" She whispered into the man's ear next to her while enjoying the heat washing over her.

This action caused the man to freeze up, he had seemed to be asleep already. He didn't say anything however which made the woman pout some more.

"I'm sorry Taiga.. jus' wanted to play with ya.." Her slurred speech carrying a still harsh scent of the sake from before. She didn't wait for the man to respond and slid closer to him, wrapping her arm around the stubborn man. She nuzzled the crook of his neck softly as she settled herself against him.

After a small moment of silence the man finally moved closer and hugged her back, pushing her frame against his own. He still refused to talk however which made the woman huff out in annoyance.

"Feels so nice...-make it up.. to you?" She hugged the man tighter, relishing the heat radiating from his bare torso.

If she weren't under the influence of alcohol, then this would have been the moment she'd realize her error. She would've noticed the sudden change of futon to bed, the buff covered body towards a lean muscled naked torso. She didn't though and continued in her drunken haze, unaware of the danger she had put herself into.

It was then that she felt hands slide over her butt, gently squeezing them. Making her sigh in relief. "Love you.." She placed a kiss on his chest as she buried herself into it, once more hugging the man. "Mmm.. you lost some weight..?"

It was then that the man had his fill and let out a sultry chuckle. "I knew you couldn't resist me, Amami-chan~" The voice not Taiga's, but yet still familiar rung through her ear.

"Tai..ga?" She slowly shifted away from the man, sitting up in the bed.

"Try again, _darling_." The voice dipped sinfully lower with a clear hint that the man was smirking. He felt the woman freeze up entirely next to him, making him chuckle at the situation. "Don't get so shy suddenly, Amami-chan, it was you who snuck into my bed after all.."

"A-Aomine..-kun?" The woman nervously whispered, still trying to comprehend what was going on, but the sudden revelation did sober her up.. mostly.

"So, how are you going to make it up to me..A-ma-mi." Aomine inched closer towards the woman, never intending to do anything more than this, but refusing to pass up such opportunity presented before him.

This caused the woman to sputter and nervously start to back away, until she suddenly fell out of the bed. The impact knocking the air out of her while her legs were still resting on the bed. "Aomine.. I.. erh.. am in the wrong room?"

Aomine rolled his eyes, mocking the situation. "You don't say.. OI BAKAGAMI! Get your girl out of my room before she pounces me!" He yelled out loud enough for Kagami to hear.

Loud cursing and stumbling was heard instantly and closing in on them rather fast. Kagami's feet were stomping through the hallway until his fist slammed the door of Aomine's bedroom open. He slammed his hand against the wall several times until it finally successfully smacked the lights on. The view in front of him making his stomach turn. He saw Amami was still lying on the floor, her legs up in the air against the bed while she tried to sit up.

Meanwhile Aomine was shamelessly lounging in his own bed, bare torso out for anyone to see. A scowl on his face as he hissed at the lights. "Oi, turn the lights off, idiot, you're blinding me. Wait.. are those my clothes..?" The scowl turning back into the sly smirk when he looked down at the ground towards the woman who was clearly panicking.

With that Kagami slapped the lights off again, not liking the look on his teammate's face. "You.. honestly.."

"Taiga.. it's not what it seems.. let me explain.." Amami burst out as she realized how this might look towards her boyfriend.

"I know! I.. know.. just get up." Kagami walked up towards his girlfriend in the dark, helping her up on her feet before dragging her away from his rival. "You shoulda said something sooner AHOMINE, you'd better not have touched her." He growled out towards his friend as he briskly walks out of the room.

This only caused the blue-haired man to chuckle in amusement. "Goodnight, Amami-chan~."

Kagami slammed the door shut behind him, muttering and growling curses and insults under his breath.

"Kagami-kun, don't make so much noise, the neighbors will complain." Kuroko uttered flatly while standing in the hallway half sleepy. His usual blank expression had a hint of annoyance, an expression Kagami knew it promised all sorts of evil deeds if he didn't do what the little phantom asked him to.

This caused the red-head to yelp in surprise, weakly nodding to his teammate but remained quiet as he dragged Amami towards the correct bedroom.

"You guys are gonna be the death of me.." Kagami calmed down partially when he crawled back into his futon, rubbing his face in disbelief at the previous commotion.

"Sorry.. I thought it was you.. we didn't do anything bad.." Amami started to panic once more, still standing in front of her futon fully sober.

Kagami heaved out a deep sigh. "I know.. just.. do me a favor and don't ever drink sake again please." He sat up and pulled Amami by her hand softly, motioning her to crawl into his futon instead of her own. "Seriously.. I do not need Ahomine to start drooling over you too.." Deep down inside he knew that his teammate wasn't interested in Amami at all, nor would he ever actively try and steal her away from him. When he really thought of it, they had become quite close friends, sure they were still rivals on the court, but during the last few years they had matured a lot. Their similar personalities turning into a close camaraderie between the two hotheads. He still feared Akashi more than Aomine when it came down to Amami, but the woman had seemed to be oblivious to any of that thankfully.

"I'll never drink sake again, I promise." She snuggled into her boyfriends' frame before they both finally drifted into peaceful slumber.

The next morning Kagami woke up when something soft hit his face.

"Hng? The hell are you doing, aho?" He muttered without much heat as he took hold of whatever it was that was being thrown at him.

"What do you think it looks like, baka? Get dressed so we can play, as punishment for.. _that_." Aomine, who stood in the doorway, pointed towards Amami who was still sleeping peacefully in Kagami's arms. "Ah and for stealing my clothes to sleep in it last night, you'll make me breakfast."

The redhead only glowered at his teammate momentarily before a slight pang of guilt overtook him and got up out of the futon. "Alright, alright, be quiet already."

As if on queue Amami woke up to the voices ringing next to her. "Too.. loud.." She groaned as her head felt like it had been run over by a bulldozer. She slowly pulled her pillow over her head in a vain attempt to block out the noise tormenting her.

"Good morning A-ma-mi!" Each syllable louder than the previous one, knowing the pain the blue-haired man was causing her. Basking in the moment before being shoved out of the room by Kagami.

Amami slightly froze when he heard the familiar way Aomine had called her, blurry images of last night jumping through her mind. Slowly but surely she started to fit the pieces into the puzzle making her groan in embarrassment. "I'm not going to live this one down, right?"

"Doubtful, his rival's girlfriend waking him up in the middle of the night by sneaking in his bed to cuddle with him? He'll be bragging for months.." Kagami merely sighed at the prospect of his friends' inflated ego and teasing. "'Morning my drunk gorgeous." He placed a soft peck on her lips after pulling her pillow away from her head.

"Good morning.." Amami weakly smiled at her boyfriend, a light blush tinting her cheeks.

Not long after they both had showered and were wearing a new set of clothes from Aomine and Momoi. As Kagami promised, he was preparing breakfast in the kitchen while having a hungry group of young adults hovering around, slowly waking up.

"How did I end up making breakfast for everyone?!" Kagami heatedly exclaimed as he was swatting Aomine's hand away from the food.

"Because Kagami-kun is nice and wants to thank us for letting you two sleep at our place and use our clothes. Also causing quite a ruckus waking up the neighbors and Aomine-kun." Even with Kuroko's usual passive demeanor and hideous bed hair, he managed to get his point across that he wasn't amused.

"I know, I know, sorry for that and thanks, we appreciate it." Kagami uttered defeated, continuing to prepare breakfast.

"I'm terribly sorry for my behavior last night and I'm really grateful that you took care of us." Amami, who was still having a mild case of a hang over, jumped up to bow towards the group, apologizing profusely.

"Ah, it's alright Amami-kun. Though I'm curious to what you were doing in Dai-chan's bedroom.." Momoi wondered not so innocently, throwing a sly smirk towards the other female.

"I mistook his bedro-" Amami started but got interrupted by Aomine who started to inch closer towards her, like a jungle cat stalking his prey.

"Because Amami-chan wants a real man instead of that idiot, am I right?" He gloats as he noticed Amami's body froze up when he took a seat next to her. As if to make things even worse he decided to slide his chair awfully close to hers, making their arms touch.

Taken aback by the brazen move, Amami could only manage to push her body away from him on her chair, the words escaping her.

A wooden spoon landed on Aomine's head before it was wiggling towards the too small space in between the two. "Keep your distance, aho." Kagami glared at his friend, giving the man a warning.

"Should've told her instead before she pushed herself up against me, feeling me up." He let out as he dug his pinky in his ear, feigning ignorance for what he's trying to do.

"I wasn't feeling you up, stop lying." Amami sighed, having expected the amount of teasing that was happening.

"'Oh, feels so nice, have you lost weight, Taiga?'" Aomine's poor attempt at a high-pitched voice to imitate her voice made Amami scowl even further. "You hear that, Kagami? Your girl is calling you fat, I actually had to dig through my closet to find a bigger shirt that'd fit you." He pointed towards his shirt Kagami was currently wearing.

"F-fat? The hell are you on, you bastard. I'm not fat." He gave everyone their plates with breakfast, not even realizing that the giant portion he had on his own made Momoi stifle a giggle.

"Keep telling yourse-" Aomine wanted to continue to tease his friend but got interrupted by a sudden pain in his ribs.

"I did _not_ say that Taiga is fat. It's pretty obvious Kagami is more muscular, so when I placed my arms by mistake around you, thinking it was Taiga, I noticed the difference. Even in my drunken state, I might add." Amami retracted her hand from his ribs, a cold glare pointed towards the man next to her. She didn't expect the man to relent on the teasing, but she'd be damned if she'd stayed quiet.

"Didn't stop you though.." Aomine flashed her a triumphant smirk, ignoring the small insult that stung him a bit. He would never admit that, nor the fact that Kagami indeed was more buff than himself.

"Whatever, for what it's worth, I'm sorry for waking you up, I can assure you it won't happen again." Amami rolled her eyes as she continued to eat.

The group continued chatting until they were done and cleaned up their plates. As promised Kagami joined Aomine in a one-on-one at a nearby basketball-court while Amami sat on a bench doing her best to zone out the headache that got worse with every contact the ball made with the ground.

Aomine naturally didn't let up on the teasing, using it as a tactic to rile up his rival during the game. He even went out of his way to remove his shirt, blaming the heat while winking openly at Amami. _"Kagami, control your woman, she looks like she's gonna pounce me again."_ Causing the others to roll their eyes at the prodigies' antics. The fact that Aomine grabbed Amami's butt last night became a secret between the two of them both knowing that even Kagami had his limits.

In the end Kagami lost the game, succumbing to the almost incessant teasing. The couple decided to head home so they bid their friend goodbye. _"What, no kiss, Amami-chan~?"_ , _"Don't miss me too much!"_ They laughed and shrugged it off when they left Aomine behind, unaware of the hardships that lie ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised a few glimpses of what's to come in the second part:
> 
> "S-Seo.." Kagami moved closer, raising his hand to wipe her tears away but winced at the sting he felt when she slapped his hand away.
> 
> "Don't! Just..don't.." Her voice tainted with defeat and sadness.
> 
> \--  
>  
> 
> "It's his dream.." Amami weakly shrugged, with a 'what can you do about it?' mentality.
> 
> There we go, small smidgens of what to to expect in part 2.
> 
> Take care everyone and thank you for reading my story. :)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm back with another load of chapters! I know that I said that I would post the second part as another story, but I changed my mind since this is eventually the same anyway. (to keep things simple for me). Sorry for the wait, I've had plenty of writer's blocks while writing these and lots of crisis' wether I should continue or not.. but I did it anyway. Well at least for another 15 chapters that is. The story ain't really over after these 15, but it's slowly heading towards an ending at that point, I'll continue writing as I'm posting these. Like before, I'll be posting twice a week, most likely on Friday's and Tuesday's (think I did the same with part 1). Like I've mentioned a while ago, part two will be more eventful? In the sense it won't be as happy go lucky as part 1, things will happen, some good, some bad, this is just my take on how those characters would deal with those circumstances. Feel free to leave a comment on what you think, constructive critism is, as always, very welcome since I aim to improve my writing.

The year flew by and before they knew it they were closing in on the end of the school year. For everyone, except for Midorima, Akashi and Amami, their last year. Soon most of them would embark on a new adventure, their next step in their lives.

With the amount of basketball prodigies about to graduate from college, it was only natural for scouts of various basketball teams to show up at the last tournament of the year. But somehow what happened next wasn't entirely expected and would cause quite the stir. It was during one of their last practices that the coach of our beloved basketball-players blew his whistle, indicating the team to start their stretching and wrap up their practice.

“Aomine and Kagami, you two follow me once you've freshened up, there are some people that would like to discuss things with you.” Their coach signaled for the two confused men to follow him into his office, once they were washed and fully dressed.

When they entered the office, they were greeted by a group of people waiting for them to arrive. Some of them didn't seem to be of Japanese origin. They remained quiet as the two took a seat, both of them not sure what's going on. The group didn't waste much time and immediately started to introduce themselves. The ones that seemed to be foreigners were speaking English and explained that they were scouts from the NBA, next to them their own translator and assistants.

After a lengthy meeting with the group of people, they had left. Both Kagami and Aomine now alone in their coach's office, baffled but ecstatic.

“Hah.. NBA wants me to play for them huh..” Aomine let out, not a grain of his usual arrogance to be found, his mind still trying to comprehend what he just had been told.

“ _Us_.. they want _us_ to play..” Kagami corrected his friend while wildly ruffling his hair. He couldn't believe that this was really happening, he almost expected to wake up any moment to realize he was just dreaming. But it didn't happen, he wasn't asleep and they really wanted him to come and play for them.

“Fuck me.. I expected to be scouted.. but NBA? Didn't think they'd be bothered with us Japanese folk.” Aomine let his head rest in the palms of his hands.

“What's up with you all of a sudden, is 'The Great Aomine-sama' suddenly becoming modest?” Kagami huffed out, amused by his friends' unusual behavior. 

They both looked at each other for a while before bursting out in laughter. It still took them quite a bit to fully comprehend what transpired earlier, but the more they talked about it together, the happier and more excited they became. The two scouts had been sent to keep an eye on the two players for a while now and decided that they wanted them to join their teams. 

The L.A. Lakers had taken an interest in Aomine while the L.A. Clippers wanted Kagami to join them. The two had to laugh at the fact that those two teams were known to be rivals. The thrill of them playing in opposing teams once more _and_ as rivals in the same state became bigger by the minute. 

The two had been given business cards of the two scouts and been told to contact them once they had their answer. They both left the office in high spirits with Kagami deciding to visit his girlfriend and Aomine almost running home to tell his friends the big news.

**************

Takao started yelling at the door as the doorbell was being molested by whoever was visiting him. “I'm comin', stop hammering my doorbell!” He quickly opened the door with an annoyed huff, curious to whoever was in such a hurry to get inside. He was met with one of the brightest grins he'd ever seen Kagami wear and was slightly taken aback by the sight. “K-Kagami..? What's up with you, man? If I knew you'd come over I woulda waited at the gym for ya.” Takao stepped aside to let the cheerful man inside.

“Ah, sorry, I couldn't help it! Is Seo home?” Kagami stepped out of his shoes and entered the living room where he was being greeted by an annoyed Midorima who was trying to watch one of his weird documentaries on tv. Meanwhile Amami had made her way into the living room as well, curious to who was causing the ruckus.

“Taiga? What's going on?” Amami's smile became larger when she noticed her boyfriend's cheery mood.

In one swoop Kagami picked Amami up, hugging her tightly as her feet were now dangling in the air. Kissing his girlfriend a little more passionately than usual as his greeting.

“Amami, Oha-Asa said Scorpio's have bad compatibility with Leo's today, I already told you earlier, I'd suggest you make it quick.” Midorima huffed in annoyance but also slight concern for the couple. “Also, get to the point already Kagami, why _are_ you here?”

Kagami ignored the shooting guard's blabbering about Oha-Asa but placed Amami back on the ground nonetheless. “Today Aomine and I have been approached by scouts! From the NBA! The L.A. Clippers want me to come and play for them.” He beamed proudly, ruffling his hair wildly again as he couldn't contain his excitement at the news.

“O-Oh? The NBA..L.A... that's Los Angeles, America, right?” Amami's eyes widened as she stared at her boyfriend, a mixture of all sorts of feelings crashing over her.

“Yup! Can you believe it? And Aomine has been asked by the Lakers! Go figure! We'd end up being true rivals again in the same state.” Kagami let out a warm boisterous laugh at the thought, not realizing the sudden silence from his friends.

“Erh.. congratu--.. wait, that's _if_ you would go, right?” Amami felt uneasy, not liking where this was going.

“Thanks! And of course we'll go, it's the NBA! We'd be crazy to pass on that, right?” Kagami slightly calmed down, but not enough to realize what he was really saying.

“I'm sure you'll take your time and think things through before you accept their offer, Kagami.” Midorima interrupted, his bad feeling about the Oha-Asa prediction becoming reality in front of his eyes.

“What's there to think about? Come on guys, it's the NBA we're talking about, you should be happy for us.” Kagami was honestly confused, expecting his girlfriend and friends to be more enthusiastic about the news.

The room became very quiet for a while. Midorima and Takao could only guess as to what was going on in Amami's mind.

_'What's there to think about?'_ Amami's hands started to shake, but she didn't realize that, too caught up with the emotions wreaking havoc in her chest. Her stomach felt like it was making somersaults making her feel sick. “So.. you've already decid--” She started to ask her boyfriend but Takao quickly interrupted her.

“Hey hey guys, you two should listen to Shin-chan and discuss this on anoth--”

“Don't interrupt me, Kazu.” Amami coldly snapped at Takao before looking back towards the redhead. “Did you?”

“Wha.. well I still have to sign the papers..” Kagami started.

“So you've already made up your mind about going? What about me?” Amami asked him, the cold slowly dissipating for hurt to take its place in her expression.

“Well, we'd be apart for a year, but once you graduate you can come to America, no? It's gonna suck that one year, but we'll be fine!” Kagami rubbed her shoulder to comfort his girlfriend's distress.

It was then that Midorima and Takao decided to retreat to their bedroom and give the couple some much needed privacy. It was clear the couple wouldn't listen to them.

“Fine..? What.. you act as if this is nothing! You're pretty much telling me you're leaving me behind for America so you can play basketball there?” Amami tried to remain calm, but couldn't hide the anger that was slowly creeping towards the surface.

“I'm not leaving you behind! I told you, once you graduate you can come to America!” His last sentence almost sounded as if it was a question. “We'll finally move in together then, isn't that what you wanted?” Kagami's eyes widened when he noticed her reluctance. 

“Didn't you even stop for one second to wonder if that's something I'd want?! You didn't even ask me, you already made your decision before you rang our doorbell. Did you really expect me to be happy to hear that my boyfriend is leaving me for America without consulting me? On top of that you even expect me to leave everything behind to join you when I graduate? Taiga, please tell me this isn't real..” Amami's voice wavered from anger to hurt and disbelief throughout her rant. Her hand pulling her hair slightly, in frustration.

“I already told you, I'm not leaving you behind! And isn't it normal that you'd join me, we love each other, right? Don't you want us to stay together?! Can't you just be happy for me? I've been dreaming about the NBA ever since I was a kid and now it's really happening and you're angry?” Kagami yelled out with heat, his fists clenching next to his body.

_'Don't you want us to stay together?'_ The question kept repeating in her head as if it was a bad joke. Her heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest by the very same person she loved, standing in front of her. A tear rolled down her cheek, one she didn't even realize was there until it rolled off her chin. “H-How.. can you be so selfish..? You want me to give up m-my own.. dreams, leave my friends and family behind, to live in a foreign country while I don't even speak the language.” Her voice felt strained because she tried her best not to cry, the lump in her throat becoming more painful as the words fell from her lips. 

This caused the redhead to flinch at her words, seeing her in this state, he only wanted to comfort her, but somehow he couldn't will himself to do just that. They both simply stood there, their eyes not even looking at one another.

“I.. need to give up _everything_ for you. You ask me if I love you.. wonder if I don't want us to stay together.. yet it's you who already decided behind my back.. to leave.” Her voice slowly regained somewhat of its power when she decided to let the tears freely flow. Her vision now entirely blurry. “I'm happy for y-..” She interrupted herself by hiccuping, the pain was excruciating. She furiously wiped the tears away to no avail since she couldn't stop them.

“S-Seo..” Kagami moved closer, raising his hand to wipe her tears away but winced at the sting he felt when she slapped his hand away.

“Don't! Just..don't..” Her voice tainted with defeat and sadness.

“Dammit Seo! I'm not asking any of that crap. You can visit your friends and family whenever you want. Call them.. send mails, whatever! I'll teach you how to speak English. You can find a job there as well, you act as if I'm taking everything away from you. I just want us to be happy, why can't you just realize that? It's not like we have to stay there for the rest of our lives either since I'm not gonna play forever. We can come back once I retire if that's what you want.” Kagami's own sadness started to ring through his voice. It hurt him a lot that he didn't get the support he expected to receive from his girlfriend. She couldn't even properly tell him she was happy for him.

The argument kept going on for quite a while, but somehow they didn't manage to understand each other. They didn't calm themselves down to take another approach and with that they continued going into circles. Not getting through to the other at all.

“--how many years do you think will have passed when you, the 'basketball obsessed Bakagami', decide to retire? Five? Ten, fifteen if you're lucky? Because that will be the amount of time that you'll rip away from my life in Japan with my family and friends. As for work.. Taiga.. I don't want a 'job'.. I want to build a career, one that will be already hard enough to make here, without the language barrier _and_ with the amount of knowledge I already have of corporate life in Tokyo. You don't just stroll into America, fresh from University and simply start a career when you're Japanese. You don't seem to realize what you're asking of me.” She let out a thoughtful pause before finishing with: “No wait, you didn't ask me to begin with.. you just expected me to follow you blindly. What if I say no? Would you be willing to forsake your own dream for me?” Amami wrapped her own arms around herself, trying to ease the pain away fruitlessly.

“...” Kagami didn't know how to answer her. Would he give up on playing in the NBA for her? A once in a lifetime chance that's only being given to a select few. And he'd been lucky enough to be part of those few. He loves her, but he also loves the game. Why couldn't she just follow him? Sure it wouldn't be easy on her, but she had him to back her up. To support her, take care of her. That's what you do when you love each other, right? You take care of one another..

Amami let out a small whimper at the pregnant silence that had descended upon the living room. “I guess that's my answer.. Look, I don't intend to keep you from achieving your own dream.. so.. I..” She looked up for the first time in a long while since they started to argue. Watery emerald eyes piercing sorrowful red ones. Crushing her own heart. “I wish you the best.. and I hope you'll find happiness fulfilling your dream in America... You deserve it.” There was no hint of sarcasm or bitterness to detect, she honestly meant what she told him. She was the one who knew best on how much effort he'd put into getting this far.

When realization dawned upon Kagami, he felt like the ground was being pulled from underneath him like a rug. An indescribable pain roared in his chest as her words slowly sunk in. “So.. this is it? Are we.. breaking up?” His once fiery eyes, paling as they became glossy from tears threatening to fall.

She didn't want to, every fiber of her body was screaming against it. But she was defeated, she couldn't find a way out of this. If they both wanted to chase their dreams, they didn't really have a choice in the matter. She gave up, which was the hardest thing she'd ever done in her entire life. She wanted to turn back time, hug the man in front of her and tell him how much she loved him. How much he truly meant to her. But she couldn't. “.. I guess so.” Not even a moment later she burst out in tears. Glancing one final time towards the man that stole her heart the first time she heard his warm chuckle in that one restaurant, before turning around wordlessly and heading towards her bedroom. Leaving Kagami alone in the living room.

The moment she closed the door behind her, she let out a heart-wrenching wail. Giving her tears and sorrow free reign when she slumped down against the side of her bed. It took her a small moment to realize she had picked up the sumo-wrestler figurine, Kaga-chan, along the way. Her sobbing made the bobble-head move as enthusiastically as always. At that very moment she heard the front door open and close, indicating Kagami left. She couldn't handle it and in a fit threw the toy forcefully against the wall. The impact resounding a small crack as small pieces flew out of her sight.

**************

Takao had walked up to Amami's door, wanting to check on her but when he reached for the doorknob he could hear the woman sobbing. He and Midorima already had waited half an hour when Kagami left, giving the woman the much needed breather from what seemed to have been quite the fight. While Takao was sure that the two had argued with each other before, he never heard of a fight on this scale. Needless to say: both of her friends knew it probably was as bad as it sounded.

Takao turned the doorknob and calmly walked in her bedroom, trying to assess the damage as he went. When his eyes took a few seconds longer to find his friend, he saw her body slumped over on the other side of her bed. She hadn't moved from the spot, still sitting on the ground.

'This is bad..' He noted when he saw his friend in such a defeated state. He walked up to her, making sure his footsteps were loud enough as to not startle the woman. He noticed her body freeze momentarily and that was it. She didn't look up, didn't move one inch, spoke no word. He moved in and sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, hoping it would offer her some comfort.

Still nothing.

“I'm here for you, ..we both are.” Takao uttered the words, taking notice that Midorima had entered her bedroom as well. Even though his boyfriend seemed to feel awkward in this situation, he could see the grim expression he was sporting. 

At first Takao had taken the stop of the sobbing as a good thing, but now he realized the woman had still to speak or move for that matter. It was like her body entirely had frozen up in his embrace. 'Really bad..' He cursed that idiot teammate of his for having hurt his best friend like this. Takao had never seen her like this and it worried him beyond belief.

Meanwhile Midorima had made a few steps inside the bedroom, looking around awkwardly. His gaze fell on something out of place on the ground. When he took a closer look his eyes widened slightly before a hint of sadness covered his green orbs. He picked the object up and placed it in his pocket before joining his friends on the ground. They were sitting on each side of the woman, patiently waiting for her to make the first move. No point in bombarding her with questions in her state, all they could do was show her that they were there for her.

After a long while her body had somehow relaxed and started to lean against Takao, resting her head on his shoulder. Midorima stood up wordlessly and exited the room, several minutes later he came back with three cups of green tea. It had become a quirk of him to soothe the distressed woman with green tea, not knowing how else he could do it.

Amami looked at the cup placed in front of her on the ground. Staring at the steam rising from the hot liquid. A minute passed until she finally made a move and took a sip from the tea. It had become the catalyst, making her move more as time progressed. 

When her cup was half empty she started to sniff, a lone tear rolled down her cheek. “We broke up.” After what felt like an eternity she finally spoke, the words causing her excruciating pain. She hiccuped loudly causing the lukewarm tea to slosh in her cup as her shoulders were heaving in sync with her sobs.

This caused Midorima to quickly grab the cup of tea from her hands and hold it himself. He glanced over at Takao and was surprised to see his boyfriend doing his best to conceal his anger. 

Takao didn't trust himself enough to speak up in his state, the only thing he did was hold Amami closer against his body. His hand rubbing lazy circles over her back while his other arm pressed her face into the crook of his neck. Giving his friend more time as she sobbed painfully, his shirt slowly becoming stained from the tears.

“Perhaps if you two would talk it over in a few days, you can still work it out. After all Oha-As--” Midorima started until Amami spoke up once more.

“He's going to America when he graduates, there's no use anymore.” Her voice was muffled as her face was still pressed against Takao.

“He's still.. going..?” Takao grounded out, clenching his jaw as he did.

“It's his dream..” Amami weakly shrugged, with a 'what can you do about it?' mentality.

The rest of the evening had been spent in the same fashion, not much being said since words weren't going to cut it anyway. They remained at her side until she decided to go to bed. She thanked them for being there for her and the tea, faking a yawn and a stretch. Both men saw through her facade but decided against it to say anything about it. They gave Amami her privacy and wished her a good night's rest before walking out of the bedroom.


	17. Chapter 17

The next day Takao arrived at the gym, it didn't take long for him to pinpoint his target. Marching up towards the man, he gained several glances and inquiries from his other teammates who were now curious as to why Takao was acting not his usually cheery self.

“You've got a lot of nerve.” Takao growled out as he stopped a few feet away from the redhead who didn't notice anything until now. “Already back at practice as if nothing happened.”

The man in question whirled around at Takao's insinuation. Bloodshot red orbs glaring back at him, shock and anger shown in them. “Wha--” He barked out but got interrupted by a fist in his face. The blow hard enough causing the tall man to stumble on the ground. He placed his hand against his cheekbone which made him wince slightly. “You fuckin' bastard!” He breathed out angrily as he looked up at Takao who was still standing there with his fist up.

“That's my line! I told you what I'd do if you would ever hurt her!” Takao yelled as he was making another approach, wanting to take another swing at him.

“Enough Takao, I don't care what happened between the two of you, but this is practice, so get your ass changed and join the rest.” Their coach stood in between the two, giving Takao a warning.

“As if I want to practice with this asshole here.” He pointed towards Kagami who was now standing up once more. A light swelling started to form underneath his eye where Takao had punched. Taking the small victory, he turned around and made his way towards the exit of the gym.

It was the end of the school year anyway, they didn't have any games anymore. The only reason they were still having practice was for the younger ones to prepare them for their next year. The third years only had to do their exams, which would start next week, before they'd graduate. It wasn't much of a big deal for Takao to skip practice and his coach had an inkling nothing was going to convince the man.

**************

Amami had been brushing off Kagami's requests to talk, through texts on their phones, saying that she had to focus on studying for her exams. Which was true, she needed to ace these exams if she wanted to have a shot at beating Akashi. She couldn't let her personal life get in the way, not when she had worked so hard these past few years. Of course she wouldn't admit that Kagami was right and that they indeed needed to talk, her heart wouldn't be able to handle it and this wasn't the time to let her emotions run rampant.

After plenty of failed attempts to get the stubborn woman to listen to him, he gave up. Telling himself that he'd give her time, wait for her exams to end, so they could properly talk without anything interfering with them. The fact that he had to study as well also helped him come to that decision. Like any other year it was going to take another mini miracle for him to pass, but now he had even more motivation than before: playing in America for the NBA. If he didn't graduate, he wouldn't be able to go.

And with that the two threw themselves at their studies, doing their utmost best to pass their finals. Subconsciously creating a gap between themselves that would only be the beginning.

**************

“I know you two will be rivals in America, but you'll have to keep an eye on Dai-chan for me, Kagamin! He doesn't know how to clean, nor cook.. and he wears the same socks for a whole week if you don't--” Momoi wailed towards Kagami, eyes moist.

“Oi, Satsuki cut that crap, I can take care of myself just fine.” Aomine sneered at his childhood friend. Growling at Kagami when he noticed the redhead grinning at him.

“As if I'd take care of that aho..” Kagami replied without much bite, still sporting a cheeky grin towards Aomine. “Besides, he'll be my rival once more, the only moments we'll spend time together is when I'm wiping the floor with him.”

“Hah? You'll need to get better for that to happen, Bakagami.” And with that the two idiots started their usual bickering, albeit in a more friendly and playful fashion.

Meanwhile Kuroko tried to comfort his girlfriend, telling him that her beloved Dai-chan will be just fine in America and that she needn't worry. He also subtly whispered that he's sure Kagami would keep an eye out for him anyway.

With that the wailing and sobbing of the woman finally died down, to the rest of the group's relief. The entire Generation of Miracles and friends had made their way towards a bar in Tokyo to have a send-away party for both Kagami and Aomine, who would be leaving Japan in less than a week. They also used this party to celebrate passing their exams, and with that most of them finally graduating from their academic career.

Everyone, old teammates, classmates and friends, had gathered together to see their two friends off. Everyone except for two: Amami and Takao. Midorima awkwardly told the group that the two friends had made plans together and wouldn't come towards the party.

In all honesty, Midorima was slightly miffed by their action. He could perhaps understand why Amami wouldn't want to show up, since she and Kagami broke up a while ago, but that wasn't an excuse for Takao in Midorima's mind. After all, not only had they become friends over the past six years, Takao had been their teammate for the last three of those, how could he not show up and celebrate with them.

“Oh? Isn't your boyfriend here today, Mido-chin?~” Murasakibara drawled in his usual bored voice, distancing himself from the loud group to check on Midorima.

Even though they had been a couple for quite a while now and told their friends about it, it still made Midorima blush to hear the term 'boyfriend' coming from his friends. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, trying to hide the blush. “No, he's staying with Amami tonight.”

“Oooh? Why isn't she here? Won't Kaga-chin be upset?” He asked with the innocence of a child.. a very large child.

No one really told Murasakibara about the news of the couple splitting up, so he wasn't really to blame for the, perhaps insensitive, question. None wanted to bring up the painful topic, wanting to avoid saddening Kagami, especially on this evening where they're supposed to be celebrating.

“Ah, Atsushi, come with me, we need to talk.” Himuro, Kagami's brother from another mother, quickly pulled the giant further away from the group. Wanting to quickly explain the situation away from Kagami.

Alas, the damage had already been done however. He may not have said anything, but the slight pause and the poorly hidden grim look on Kagami's face told Midorima that he had heard Murasakibara.

The rest of the evening went as expected, once alcohol started to flow the group became rowdier, fully enjoying themselves. Laughter and tears were heard as they began to tell stories about their two basketball idiots.

Kagami felt happy that his friends all showed up and thoroughly enjoyed their company this evening. He knew he was going to miss them when he'll be across the sea. Well most of them, ..some.. they were still a handful!! Besides they told each other to stay in contact through the internet and phone, so he wasn't really released from the skittle crew clutches anyway.

But she wasn't there. She hasn't been there for a few weeks now. That gap between them had grown a lot during those weeks and it was tearing Kagami's heart apart. He missed her deeply but had no idea on how to fix things. He even became convinced that it wasn't fixable anymore, since they both wanted to fulfill their dreams, and none of those could happen if they stayed together. As harsh as it may have sounded. That didn't mean he wasn't torn up about it. Tonight only made it even more clear to him that they were a thing of the past. He didn't expect her to come, but that didn't stop him from wishing for exactly that either.

“Kagami-kun, you've been brooding for the past half hour.” Kuroko jumped out from the shadows, startling Kagami like the good old times.

“K-Kuroko, bastard, don't do that..” His voice too soft for the reprimand.

“Is Kagami-kun not enjoying his party?” The phantom asked his best friend, having an inkling what was going on in the other's head.

Kagami did not want to talk about her. If thinking about her caused him this much pain, he wouldn't want to imagine the torment of actually talking about her. “Ah, I'm fine, I guess it's sinking in that I won't be seeing you guys for quite a while. It's a big step to go back to America, I'll miss Japan.” Kagami tries to hurl as many reasons he could come up with that he could use as an excuse. 'Damn Kuroko and his observant gaze.' He cursed mentally.

Kuroko blankly stared at Kagami for a few moments before opening his mouth once more. “You'll be fine over there and we'll still stay in touch. Besides, you won't stay there forever and you'll come visit us once in a while, I hope.”

Kuroko noticed the white lies his best friend told him but decided to leave it, not wanting to force him tonight. And for that, Kagami was grateful.

“Yeah.. it was stupid of me to think I was rid of you weirdo's.” He halfheartedly joked, placing his hand on the shadow's shoulder before wandering off on his own.

Kuroko frowned as he watched the redhead's back disappear into the crowd.

Kagami needed to get some fresh air so he decided to go outside for a bit, to calm himself. When he walked out of the door of the bar he bumped into a familiar back.

Midorima looked up from his cellphone as he felt someone bump into him. That usually didn't happen much, since he was hardly a man you would look over.

“Ah.. Midorima, sorry I wasn't paying attention. I didn't mean to make you stumble.” Kagami apologized, making the green-haired man alert to his unusual behavior. 

“I didn't stumble.. it's fine.” He murmured, not sure on how to act. He looked back down at his cellphone when the device chirped, indicating he had received a text message.

“Ah, boyfriend checking up on you?” Kagami tried to tease, using Midorima's social awkwardness to mask his own fucked up emotions swirling inside of him.

“No, he wants me to bring.. 'A tub of chocolate chipped banana ice-cream' whenever I go back home.” He read from the screen of his phone, making him frown. “There's a store that sells that crap around the corner, he could easily buy it himself, nanodayo. Lazy man..” He rolled his eyes as he replied to the text.

“Seo loves that flavor..” Kagami visibly slumped at that thought.

Midorima froze for a moment, realizing what he had said. “Did you two talk since.. you know..?”

“No.. we were busy studying, after the exams.. I don't know.. it just didn't happen. Nothing I'll say will change our situation anyway..” He merely gazed at his own feet while trying to shrug it off.

With that Midorima deeply sighed and gave Kagami a stern look. “You're both stubborn idiots. Here.. I've been meaning to give you this for a while now.” He quickly grabbed his wallet and took something out of it. Before placing it in Kagami's hand he looked him in the eyes, his gaze softening. “The Kagami I know doesn't give up, don't tell me that changed while I wasn't looking.”

Kagami opened his hand and noticed what his friend placed there. His eyes scanning the familiar piece of toy. The pie Kaga-chan, the sumo-wrestler figurine, would normally hold. Pain crossed his gaze as he realized what must have happened to Kaga-chan. A moment later Midorima's words sank into him, determination replaced the pain he felt and he gruffly nodded. “Thanks..” Without another word he started to run away from the bar with only one thing in mind: Amami.

**************

“Men are pigs!” Takao exclaimed, his voice slightly deterred from the alcohol.

“Kazu-chan.. you're a man yourself..” Amami blinked in slight amusement as she saw her childhood friend standing on the couch, raising his freshly opened can of beer.

“..Basketball idiots are losers!!” He yells out while waving his hand in the air, making the content of his can of beer slosh around.

“Kazu.. you play that as well..” Even though she had a point she couldn't help but giggle as her friend kept repeating 'loser' in a childish fashion while spilling beer all over himself, and sadly, the couch.

“Looos-- ..Seo-chan, you're not working with me, we agreed to a 'we-hate-men-while-wearing-pj's-evening'. Come, grab your beer and join me.” He held his free hand out, motioning for Amami to hop on the couch as well.

“I still don't think Mido-kun's basketball jersey from Shutoku counts as pj's.” She grabbed her half-emptied can of beer and his hand to join him. Rolling her eyes at the antics of her friend and this weird setup.

She was grateful though. Even if she refused to show it at the moment, she was glad that he stayed with her on this evening. Keeping her mind off of a certain redhead who was now supposedly celebrating graduating from college and his invitation into the NBA. Well mostly.. the thought still lingered in her mind, but Takao made a valiant attempt at distracting her for most of the time. It was his and the beer's main objective to achieve tonight.

“Fiiiine! You just had to say you wanted to see me half naked, ..here!” He playfully breathed out as he pulled the jersey over his head and threw it on Midorima's relax-chair. He winked at Amami while flexing one arm.

Amami almost spluttered the beer out, as she was drinking. Just managing to swallow it before bursting into laughter. “That's just.. weird!” She croaked out, wiping her chin for good measure. Takao was like a brother to her, so watching him half naked of course didn't affect her, but then he had the audacity to even wink and flex making the entire ordeal absurd and.. typical Takao behavior.

“Well.. too bad princess-chan, you'll have to stare at this piece of art now.” Takao teased her, wrapping his free arm around her and pulling her flush against his chest, making the two wobble dangerously on the couch. “Your pj's suck too, for your information.” He slightly pouted while pulling the worn out over-sized t-shirt with a ridiculous pine-apple print on it.

“You're just upset because it reminds you of Miyaji-senpai..” Amami giggled as she felt Takao shiver momentarily, knowing exactly what thoughts were flitting through his brain right now.

“That's just evi—”

Before he could finish the sentence he was interrupted by the doorbell, which startled both of them. They glanced at each other before directing their looks towards the door. Both not sure who it could be at this time of hour.

“Must be Shin-chan who forgot his keys..” Takao carelessly hopped off the couch and made his way towards the front door. The doorbell chimed once more as the door wasn't opened fast enough. “Shiin-chan, we hear you, calm down, I'm comin'.. you better have that ice-cre--” Takao said while opening the door. His sentence cut short when he noticed it wasn't his beloved Shin-chan with ice-cream standing at the door. 

“What are _you_ doing here?” His eyes narrowed on an out of breath Kagami who was resting his hands on his knees, sweat dripping from his forehead. Takao instinctively stepped outside and closed the door behind him enough so Amami couldn't see who was at their door.

Kagami wouldn't let that action deter him and straightened his back, his fiery orbs piercing cold gray ones. “I need to talk to her.” Brimming with determination he stared at the smaller man in front of him.

“No you don't.” Takao simply glared back, his eyes still narrowed and focused on the unwanted guest. He was not going to be intimidated, not when it came down to protecting his best friend.

“That's not for you to decide.” He instantly snapped back, unyielding. Sure when he talked to Midorima he just instantly took off without a word nor a thought of what he would actually say when he finally reached their apartment. It simply didn't cross his mind that Takao was there as well, even though he was informed of that fact earlier this evening. He was entirely focused on talking to _her_ that he didn't spare a moment to think of what could be standing in between them, which was evidently, his former teammate. He huffed, slightly relaxing his body and softening his intimidating stare. “Look.. I just want to talk to her before I'm leaving, please..”

For a split second Takao felt like admitting to the man's plea, but the thought immediately got replaced by his anger when he remembered how Amami looked like the night the two broke up. “Then you shouldn't have left her in the first place..” He grounded out in poorly concealed anger while his fist was already clenching next to his body.

“I didn't! Stop acting like an ass and let me talk to her dammit!” Kagami growled as he took a step forwards. If his old teammate wouldn't let him in, he would simply make his own way in. It's not like Takao had any chance against Kagami to begin with.

Takao moved in order to prevent the man from entering, reaching out towards the doorknob, aiming to simply close the door. He'd have to break down the door to get in that way. Just as he felt the cold metal of the knob in his hand, he felt the door opening behind him.

“Kazu-chan, who is it?” Amami opened the door to check on her friend who was taking his time at the door. Her bright green eyes landed on startled red ones. Even though she was still standing behind Takao, watching over his shoulder, the only thing she could see was the person who had become the source of all pain these past few weeks. She felt the air being knocked out of her as she stood there, speechless, just staring at the man she had missed so hard.

“Seo, get back inside, I'll take care of this.” Takao turned around and ushered Amami back inside.

“No! Stop, please Seo,.. don't do this! I've given you the time you wanted, so listen to me.. please.” Kagami exclaimed loudly, not wanting Amami to disappear from his sight. His pleading voice laced with so much pain that even Takao slightly winced at the sound. “Please...”

It might as well have happened, when her heart felt like it was being ripped apart when she saw the man she loved in utter despair, pleading for her to listen. She deeply breathed in a shaky breath, weakly nodding towards him. “Inside.. we've bothered the neighbors enough already..” She weakly breathed out, her eyes unsure of the idea of bringing the man inside, but she felt like their neighbors would come complain any moment now if this was going to continue.

“Seo..” Takao started to object but got halted as she wordlessly nodded to him, motioning for him to get inside as well.

The three of them entered the living-room and immediately seated themselves on the couch and relax-chair. Before Kagami placed his butt on the chair, Takao quickly snatched his boyfriend's jersey away and quickly pulled it over his head. Having stood in front of the door half naked wasn't the brightest idea after all. Once dressed he placed himself on the couch next to Amami and in between the two. He refused to leave Amami alone with Kagami right now, whatever the redhead had to say, was going to happen in front of him as well.

An awkward silence stretched out between them, tension rising as they all sat down waiting for someone to break it.

Kagami took in a deep breath when he had collected his thoughts properly. Determined he started to talk, doing his best to ignore the nasty glare Takao was sending him. “I'm sorry for being insensitive back then. I was so overjoyed by the news that I could barely contain my happiness, the first thing that came into my mind was sharing that with you back then. So much that I didn't stop to think on how you'd feel about it. We've been together for so long and shared so many things together, so I instinctively dropped the bomb on you without any consideration towards you. For that I am truly sorry.” 

Kagami's voice was lower and softer than usual, revealing the raw emotions the man felt as he started explaining. After a small pause he continued, determination seeping back into his eyes as he fondly looked towards Amami. “I really don't think we should end it though. I mean we still love each other, right?” 

He noticed Amami freeze for a moment, pain flashing across her face. “We'll work things out as we go. It'll be hard, but worth it when we get through it, I know for sure.” Kagami slightly smiled as he noticed the corners of Amami's lips lift. 

“All we have to do is survive upcoming year and then you can come over and we'll work things out together. You're very smart, you'll be talking English in no time and then you can start taking over America's economy or whatever it is you want to do over there. And if that doesn't go so well at start, I'm sure my father would love to help you into the company he works at. Seo.. I promise I'll take good care of you. If you miss your family or friends, we can always come and visit them or let them visit us. We'll both be realizing our dreams while having each other.” He breathed out, feeling as if this was the longest time he had talked in his entire life. But he felt like he did a proper job on displaying his true feelings towards Amami.

As Amami listened to the entire monologue, her smile, that was barely even there to begin with, faltered the more she listened. It wasn't what she had wanted to hear from him, it felt like he hadn't listened to her at all back then. She simply didn't want to leave Japan. She felt like screaming at the entire situation. She still loved the man so much, so she simply couldn't understand how the same man was still expecting her to give up on so many things. And it's at this point where her feelings started to contradict each other again. She didn't want to break up, nor did she want to go to America. She wanted for him to stay with her, but couldn't possibly dream of taking his childhood dream away from him either.

Silence descended once more upon them as Amami thoughtfully stared at the floor. The brightness in her eyes slowly fading when she took his words in consideration. She had to decide once and for all however, she couldn't let this go on anymore, for both their sake. With grim determination she looked up, her eyes now vagrant of emotions fixed on the man in front of her. “That's not what I want, Kagami. I'm sorry I'm not able to be that person for you, I can't nor want to leave Japan, forsaking everything. Sometimes love isn't enough..” The last part could barely be heard anymore, the realization of what was happening dawning upon her as she spoke. 

This was goodbye.

Kagami had patiently waited when Amami was seemingly mulling over his proclamation, hoping that whatever he had said was enough to convince her. She finally spoke up and conveyed her own feelings, making that final decision. He felt himself become numb, not only was she calling him by his last name once more, she also declined his last attempt at saving their relationship. This was it and he knew it, the feeling making him sick in the stomach. He bit his lower lip when he realized he had been clenching the pie from Kaga-chan in his fist the entire time through. The sharp edges protruding his skin, a reminder that this was really happening. 

“If.. that's what you think is best..” He slowly stood up from the chair, ruffling his hair distractedly, taking one last look at Amami, as if he was hoping she'd say something to stop all of this. But it didn't happen, he only saw what most likely was a mirror image of himself. A broken person being wrecked by the emotional pain they were enduring. He clenched his fist firmer, not even caring if the broken toy was now cutting through the skin. He started to walk away, each step feeling heavier than the last one. He didn't look back, he didn't have the strength anymore. And with that he finally closed the door behind him, barely noticing a shocked Midorima who stood there, key ready and a tub of ice cream in the other hand. Kagami merely glanced over him and took off without a word, pain and sadness oozing from his demeanor.


	18. Chapter 18

Amami hurriedly entered the classroom on a Monday morning, completely out of breath but just in time before the professor himself entered. She plopped down at the nearest empty desk and heaved a silent sigh of relief for making it in time.

Akashi, who was sitting a few rows further, looked on in silence. It wasn't like Amami to be this 'late', so he couldn't help but wonder what made her having rush in, out of breath and not a moment too soon before class started.

The professor started his lecture however, making the students go quiet and pay attention. Akashi would have to wait to ask Amami.

The bell rang which made the professor dismiss his class, now free to enjoy their break. When the man left the room Akashi immediately walked up towards Amami who slumped over her desk at the same moment. “It seems you're having a rough morning.” The statement sounding more like a question as he settled himself down next to her.

“..You could say that.” Amami didn't bother to raise her head, not caring if it seemed a little rude towards her friend. She was exhausted and the added stress of this morning didn't help her one bit, she abused this little moment to finally take a breather.

“...” Akashi patiently looked over her frame, noticing her clothes to be thrown on messily which was very unlike her. “Overslept?” He insisted on asking, not entirely happy with her vague response from before.

She lifted her head slightly, taking in the tilted vision of Akashi next to her. His eyebrows slightly knitted in.. was that worry? “Mmm, I did indeed, but I would've still made it, if it weren't for the train being entirely overcrowded forcing me to take the next one.” She sighed deeply once more, remembering the ordeal of this morning. “I truly miss Mopi, I can't believe how people can deal with that every day for years.” She rested her head on her arm meanwhile, using it as a pillow.

“In most people's case it's still less troublesome to go by train than having to pay for a car and deal with busy traffic.” He merely stated devoid of emotion. His gaze lingered on her face, noticing the darkened skin below her eyes. 'Again, huh?' Making a mental note that it wasn't indeed the first time she seemed to have had a bad night, not getting enough sleep.

“At least you're not being squished by ten people around you while desperately trying to cling unto the handle so you wouldn't fall. ..Not that you'd be able to since you're squished to begin with, you'd just bump against other people instead.” She scrunched up her nose in distaste at the thought while huffing a small humorless chuckle. This caused some strands of her ginger bangs to slide over her eyes which were now closed.

It took Akashi a decent amount of willpower not to reach out and brush those strands away. Even when she wouldn't say anything he knew she was hurting deep inside. Most likely not able to sleep at night because of the sadness that man had left her with. The thing that vexed him the most was his inability to cheer her up. He wasn't as close as Takao nor Midorima are, but he also wasn't someone who was experienced with such things. 'How lamentable..' He bitterly thought. “I guess you're right.” He merely commented.

The day simply continued like usual. Akashi stuck close to Amami whenever they had the same classes while Amami resembled her usual self less and less. Becoming more of a husk on auto pilot instead a bright, cheerful woman.

**************

The next day Amami managed to get out of bed on time and was making her way down the stairs of the apartment building. When she reached the street she saw an expensive car waiting right at her doorstep. The window of the backseat slowly opened revealing Akashi looking up at her.

“I promise I won't squish you.” He gave her a soft smile as he opened the door before sliding over to make room for her.

Out of all the things that could happen she would've never expected a wild Akashi to appear on her doorstep, offering her a ride in his car. Still surprised she humbly entered the car, looking sheepishly towards Akashi who was sitting next to her. His gaze calculating upon her. “A-Akashi-kun..? Not that I don't appreciate this, but.. isn't this place out of your way towards uni?”

“It is.” He stated matter of factly making Amami frown in worry for a moment. “But I don't mind.” He quickly added, his expression softening to put the woman at ease. He motioned for his personal driver to go.

He wanted to do anything that would help her out, if it meant he had to take a detour of half an hour to make life a little bit more bearable for the woman he came to care for so deeply, he wouldn't mind one bit. He couldn't do this all the time since their roster was still slightly different, but it had become a habit to share the ride home and to uni whenever they could.

**************

“Alright, now you two behave while we're out, ya hear? I don't want the neighbors complainin' or anything, 'kay?” Takao grinned mischievously towards the two men sitting at the table with a shogi-board in between them. Resulting the two serious men to quirk an eyebrow and frown at the man.

“Idiot.. I'm more worried about you two causing trouble instead. Don't overdo it.” Midorima glanced at his boyfriend, his frown turning into a scowl when he noticed the man was barely listening. “Kazunari! I mean it, don't get too drunk because I'm not picking you two up like before.”

“Yes, yes my beloved ace-sama, I promise not to have too much fun tonight.” Takao waved his hand, brushing off his lover, causing a vein to pop on Midorima's forehead, per usual. “Come Seo-chan, let's celebrate me getting a job!” He pulled a hesitant Amami towards the front door.

“We'll be fine, Mido-kun, enjoy your evening you two.” Amami weakly smiled at her two friends before she was pulled outside by her over hyped best friend.

It was only when the door clicked shut that Midorima let out a deep sigh, rubbing his forehead, shaking his head in dismay.

A soft chuckle erupted from Akashi's throat causing the green-haired man to look up in confusion. “What?”

“I sometimes forget how well you two fit together even though you're almost complete opposites. It's refreshing to see it in full action.” Akashi bemusedly answered before moving a piece on the shogi board.

“He'll be the death of me..” '..but I'd gladly let him.' He didn't finish that sentence, not wanting to sound too corny in front of Akashi. He rubbed his chin in thought pondering what move he should make in the game.

The two old friends continued to play their game like they always did. They talked about all sorts of topics in their life while concentrating on the pieces in front of them, none of them willing to relent. It still hadn't happened for Midorima to win from Akashi, but he enjoyed the time spent together none the less. Grateful that Akashi changed back to his former self.

“What are you planning with her?” Midorima suddenly asked the man in front of him, his gaze serious.

“You'll have to be more precise Midorima.” Akashi's eyes looked back, not moving a muscle. Trying to gauge what the man was referring to.

Midorima was never a man to beat around the bush, he completely focused on Akashi now. “You like her more than you show.”

Akashi didn't move or say anything. His gaze still fixated on Midorima while he was mulling over his words. After a small moment he broke the silence. “You've become quite observant then.”

Midorima already expected the man to answer in his typical mysterious way, he wouldn't accept it this time however. “..So? What _are_ you going to do with her?” His expression becoming dead serious.

Akashi's gaze softened in a soft smile when he noticed how concerned Midorima had become. “Nothing in particular really, Midorima.”

“I'm not buying that, you always plan things, you must have some sort of idea.” Midorima let out, moving another piece on the board as he did.

“I'm not going to hurt her, if that's what you're afraid of. As for the rest? There's nothing much I can do except to be patient.” Akashi instantly placed a piece of his own on the board, revealing that he expected the pattern of the other's strategy in the game.

Midorima simply frowned. “I'm actually worried for both of you. She's not over him yet and frankly I don't see that happen any time soon. She needs a friend, not an extra worry.” Midorima wasn't known for mincing his words so Akashi wasn't surprised at the blunt statement.

“I plan to be there for her, however she needs me, Midorima, you needn't worry. I'm more than fine by being her friend and I'm definitely aware of her feelings for him.” This time Akashi showed a small bittersweet smile to Midorima. Showing the man the sincerity behind his words.

“Why not try and get over her? This will end badly for you and you know it.” Midorima's stern expression softened in sympathy for his friend.

Akashi let out a dry humorless chuckle at the question. “If I could, I would've done so a long time ago.”

**************

It was a humid Saturday night of July when Amami entered her apartment. Her sour mood slightly lifted, feeling the effect of the air conditioner, until her eyes landed on several pairs of shoes in the hallway. She could only recognize half of them as she eyed them, it was then that the loud cheers and laughter reached her ears. This had Amami raising her eyebrow, wondering who her guests were. She picked up her large backpack as she finally put her own shoes next to the others before making her way inside. When she reached their living-room she saw almost the entire miracle gang and friends sprawled across their couch and floor in front of the tv. The group had been so loud and distracted by the tv that they didn't hear someone enter the apartment.

Amami felt slightly awkward when she saw Kuroko and Momoi in their couch, people she had been avoiding ever since she broke up with Kagami. Akashi was sitting next to Kuroko while Kise and Murasakibara were lying on the floor with some pillows. Midorima was of course in his relax-chair and Takao had taken it upon himself to sit in between his lovers' legs on the floor. Amami simply stood there, staring at the sight of the colorful bunch in front of her until a familiar voice spoke up in her direction.

“Oh, Mami-chin, welcome home~.” It was Murasakibara who was the first to notice Amami, lying on the floor with a piece of licorice hanging from his lips.

“E-Erh, good evening.. everyone.” She sheepishly responded as now all of their gazes were locked on her instead of the tv. Some showed surprise.. some shock and some, like Takao, sheer panic.

“S-Seo-chan, what are ya doin' here? I thought you were staying over at your parents this weekend?” Takao fumbled nervously, his eyes darting all over the room.

“Y-Yeah, I.. changed my mi--” She started, until she heard an English voice shouting excitedly.

“Did you see that dunk?! I can't believe how high that Kagami can jump!!” A reporter yelled animatedly on the tv.

Amami didn't have to understand English to figure out who he was talking about. Her eyes instantly zeroed in on the tv where the camera was taking a zoomed in shot from Kagami as he raised his fist in the air, a bright smile on his face.

Time felt like it continued in slow motion for Amami. The sight of the redhead on tv causing her heart to painfully throb. That bright smile of his making her stomach turn. The feeling of everyone staring awkwardly at her. 

'What a cruel joke..' She bitterly thought as she could feel her throat constrict, thumbing the pendant of her necklace. She wanted to disappear. “I-I'll be..” Her voice barely came out, not that it mattered since she didn't know what to say anyway. She just awkwardly nodded towards the group and made her way towards the front door once more. She had to get out of here and that is exactly what she was doing.

“Seo, wait..” Takao started to chase after her until he was stopped by Amami who was already holding the doorknob in her hand.

“Don't! Please.. let me..” She politely pleaded with a face so devoid of emotion it made the man very uncomfortable. Takao literally felt scared when his best friend cast him such a look.

Amami wordlessly left their place, leaving a frozen and worried Takao behind in the hallway.

**************

She had been walking around town aimlessly when her mind felt like it just upped and left her back home. She hadn't thought things through when she simply burst out the door. She wasn't aware of how long she had been walking, it could have been half an hour, it could have been several, she just kept walking, trying to calm herself in vain. Memories of her day creating harrowing thoughts in her mind.

It was when she reached a small park that she realized her feet were hurting, she must've been going at it for quite a while now. Exhaustion finally caught up with her, she decided to sit on one of the benches the park provided. It was poorly lit, but that only felt perfect for her at the moment. The heavy backpack now lying at her feet as she took a deep shuddering breath.

“Great, now what am I going to do..?” She muttered as she realized she didn't recognize the place she was at. The park was dark and desolate at this hour of the day, she realized that perhaps running out at this hour was perhaps not the best idea she ever had. A breathless chuckle escaped her throat which felt painful due to the lump residing there. “Unfair..” she whispered, shuddering as her entire body felt cold.

An unknown amount of time had passed, Amami having zoned out once more, when she was startled by the ringing of her phone. Numbly she reached into her purse to fetch the loud device, her screen indicating it was Takao who was calling her. She hesitated for a moment before answering it.

“Seo?! Where the hell are ya? I've been callin' you a million times already! It's past midnight already, we've been worried sick. I don't care how angry you are with me, get your ass back home.” Takao almost screamed through his phone, but relieved to finally have Amami answer his call.

“...”

“Seo?! Where are you? Everyone's gone now, if you're worried about that, it's just me and Shin-chan here. Please Seo, come back, you're scaring us.” Takao exclaimed in despair.

“..I'm fine, go to sleep.” Not waiting for the objections she knew would be blaring from her phone, she hung up and let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

She started to tap on her phone, a map jumped up on her screen, indicating her location. Now realizing where she was she immediately dialed a number before bringing the phone back to her ear.

“Amami..?”

“Can I stay at your place tonight, please?” Her voice barely audible.

“Where are you, I'll come pick you up.”

**************

It had been ten minutes since she closed her phone when a familiar car stopped in front of her. The door of the driver's seat opened, revealing a worried Akashi who instantly made his way towards her. Relief washed over him as he wrapped his arms around the woman. “Idiot..” he uncharacteristically muttered against her hair.

She didn't have the courage to say anything, she simply lowered her head in shame as she felt Akashi's arms around her. Her entire body was now shaking.

Akashi frowned when he noticed that, even though it was almost one o'clock at night, it was still reasonably warm due to the humid weather lately. “Are you alright, Amami-kun? I mean.. asides from what happened.. earlier tonight.”

Amami simply nodded her head. “I'm fine..”

Akashi's eyes narrowed slightly at her answer. He let her go wordlessly and picked her backpack up. Unlocking the trunk of the car he carefully placed the bag in it, before opening the door of the car for her.

The ride towards his apartment was silent. Akashi was focused on the road as he was driving, sporting a serious expression while Amami sat next to him in the passenger's seat, staring out of the window. It had slightly taken Amami by surprise to see Akashi driving the car himself, instead of his chauffeur, well perhaps she shouldn't have been, since it was already this late. 

Occasionally his gaze would flicker towards her, taking in the painful sight making him clench his steering wheel. “I'm sorry you had to go through that.” Not entirely sure what else he could say at this moment.

“Yeah.. me too..” She weakly responded.

They finally arrived at Akashi's apartment. Not so surprisingly: it was huge. It even had a second floor. It had classic and antique looking furniture, giving the place a charming, if not expensive, feel to it.

“I'll show you to the guestroom.” Akashi carried her bag and motioned for her to follow him. Once inside the room, he placed the backpack on the large bed. “If there's anything you need--” Akashi's sentence died on his lips when he suddenly felt her arms around his upper body. Her head nestled against his shoulder. In a moment of weakness he hugged her back and placed a kiss on top of her head, but the woman didn't mind.

“I'm sorry for bothering you this late at night and having me intrude your home. Thank you for letting me.” Her voice was soft, but didn't sound as weak as earlier. Her skin however still felt like ice making him subconsciously rub her arms in attempt to warm her up.

“Don't be ridiculous, I'm just glad you're unharmed. What were you even thinking, wandering the streets at night.” He chastised her with a stern gaze looking down into her pale green eyes.

“I-I.. had to get out of there..” She weakly shrugged, knowing that answer wouldn't satisfy him regardless.

“Well, you're alright, that's what matters.” He reluctantly let go of her, mustering a warm smile for her. “I'll go make some tea, since you're still cold. Make yourself comfortable, there's a private bathroom through this door, feel free to use it.” He pointed towards a door inside the room before making his way out.

“I'm not.. cold..” She lied to no one in particular since he was already out the door. She looked around the room before opening her backpack. For the first time relieved to have dragged this backpack around since her dramatic exit of earlier this evening. The bag contained her pj's, extra clothing and toiletries, for her stay at her parents she had canceled earlier that day.

Meanwhile Akashi had walked into his kitchen and started to prepare two cups of tea while holding his phone against his ear. “Yes, she's with me and she's alright considering..”

“...Why didn't you bring her home?” Midorima's suspicious voice sounded through the device.

“She clearly didn't want that, otherwise she would've gone back herself. There's no need to worry anymore.” Akashi bluntly stated while he was taking care of the tea.

Midorima let out a sigh of resignation. “Don't do anything stupid.”

“Naturally.” Akashi answered before hanging up. He took hold of the cups of tea and made his way towards the guestroom once more. He knocked on the door before entering, finding an empty room. When he placed the cups of steaming hot tea on the small table at the window he heard the shower running. To kill time he started to arrange the room, preparing it for its guest by turning off the big light and switching on the small lamp on the nightstand.. By the time he was checking the closets for possibly extra pillows and blankets he heard the bathroom door open, revealing a slightly damp Amami in her pine-apple pj's.

“Ah, you're already back.” Amami weakly smiled as she noticed he had been busy fluffing up the room for her.

“Do you want me to leave?” Akashi asked nervously.

“No! I mean.. please stay a little longer?” Her eyes widened at the sudden question of his, surprising her. But the thought of him leaving her alone made her frown.

He wordlessly nodded towards the small table and comfortable chairs where their tea was waiting for them.

Amami was staring through the window, indulging on the superb view she had. His apartment was situated on the twelfth floor, granting them a nice view on the surrounding area. Bright lights and dim streetlamps stark against the darkness of the night. She liked it. After sipping from her tea she finally decided to speak up. “Miki and Ushio are expecting a baby..” She didn't avert her gaze from the window.

“Ah, congratulations are in order then.” He responded instinctively, but as he spoke he immediately realized something. 'Ah.. that's why she didn't stay at her parents..' “They told you today at your parents', I assume?” He quickly asked to confirm his suspicion.

“Yes.. they announced it there.” She frowned slightly behind her cup of tea, sipping from it.

He felt reluctant to say anything at this moment, gauging her instead. While the news in itself is rather joyous, it was clear to him that she wasn't entirely thrilled about that fact.

“I'm.. happy for them. I really am, it's just that..” She didn't want to finish her sentence, knowing how idiotic and selfish it would sound. She felt guilty for having these thoughts to begin with.

“..You can't share their joy right now?” Akashi tried to finish her sentence, trying to prod the woman to explain.

“Something like that, I suppose. It's not like I'm jealous or anything, I'm far too young for that, but the thought of them so happy together.. and having it so easy..” She rested her head against her perched up hand, her gaze directed at Akashi instead. “It feels unfair..” Her free hand subconsciously held the pendant with the dual colored gems of her necklace.

He thoughtfully looked back at her. “You'll have that happy life sooner or later as well, Amami-kun. Time will heal, is what they always say, right? Besides, since when have you ever wanted things to be easy for you? But I can understand that, right now, your feelings are a bit muddled.”

This made Amami blush. It helped alleviate the bitter thoughts that were swirling in her mind a little. She chuckled softly, a small warm smile gracing her features. “I guess you're right. I just wish it to happen sooner rather than later.”

Akashi felt the strings on his heart pull when he saw her sincerely smile for the first time in ages. This caused the man to show his own boyish smile, feeling content he was the one to have achieved that feat. “Meanwhile you'll have me, Takao, Midorima and your family to back you up.”

Amami took in his handsome boyish smile that also showed his own tiredness. “Thank you, for being such a great friend to me.” She bowed her head gratefully.

They spent a few more moments together, enjoying each other's company while finishing their tea before they wished each other a well deserved good night's rest.


	19. Chapter 19

“Amami, will you hurry up already, I need to use the restroom, nanodayo!” Midorima impatiently banged on the bathroom door.

“I have an empty bottle for you Shin-chan, I'll even help you.~” Takao sung out in a teasing voice from the living-room.

“Amami!” He wanted to bang on the door with his fist once more when the door finally opened, revealing Amami in a beautiful dark gray gown that almost reached her ankles. It was made of silk and clung to her body in just the right places, accentuating her slender curves. The fabric reached around one shoulder, leaving the other bare. The skirt had a classy split showing a good part of her leg, letting the fabric flow playfully. 

Midorima merely glanced for a split second at the stunning appearance before he opened his mouth. “Move!” He quickly brushed by her and slammed the door shut, finally able to relieve himself.

“Sorry Mido-kun..” Amami apologetically let out while making her way towards the living-room.

A sharp whistle erupted from Takao's lips as he saw his friend clad in such an elegant dress. “Lookin' gorgeous! Akashi sure is a lucky man tonight.” Takao cheekily winked.

“Don't be ridiculous Kazu-chan, I'm already happy that he invited me to his father's ball to begin with. Lots of important people will be there.. I need to be at my best tonight.” She looked down, scrutinizing herself nervously.

“You'll be fiiiine, though I would really advice you to finish your make up.” He saucily smirked, pointing at her unfinished make up.

“Mido-kun had to use the restroom..” At that very moment she heard the toilet flush which made her jump up once more, darting towards the bathroom to continue her make up.

Her nerves hadn't subsided at all when she was finally ready. She decided to let her long ginger locks down, making it cascade over her shoulders. She opted for a dark orange purse to have that little extra spark and finished her look with matching gray heels.. The only jewelry she wore was the necklace she hadn't taken off for years now. The silver pendant still carrying its red and green gem, sparkling bright against her skin.

“I can do this.. just.. be polite.. don't overdo it..” She kept on muttering an unintelligible mantra towards the reflection of the mirror in the hallway. 

Amami Seo was nervous and scared, that hadn't happened in quite a while. It was however totally understandable since the ball tonight had a lot of important people coming over. People she was sure to face in her future career, ergo she had to impress and charm them to make them notice her. Akashi was right when he had told her that it would be in her best interest to accept the invitation, this could be a very important step that could lead to many opportunities, career-wise. So of course she accepted the invitation, she would be a fool not to, but it didn't stop her mind from going over many doom scenarios and coming up with solutions for every single one of those.. how crazy some of those even sounded to herself.

“Please don't start talking to mirrors at the ball..” Midorima huffed in a teasing fashion while Takao stood dead-serious next to him.

“Seo-chan.. relax, just be yourself and everything will be alright.” Takao simply gave her a thumbs up, confident in his friend's success at the party.

“I know, it's jus--”

*HONK HONK*

An embarrassing shriek left her lips, the car horn startling her more than it should have. “R-Right.. I should go now, wish me luck you guys.” After receiving two supportive smiles and a 'Nail it!' she dashed outside the door.

A black limousine was waiting when she reached the street. A fancy clothed driver stood ready, with the door open for her to take a seat in the back. “Good evening Amami-san, I'll be taking you to the Akashi estate.” Bowing politely before he helped her get in.

“Thank you.” She nervously smiled and bowed in return to the man.

The ride towards the Akashi estate (the one in Tokyo), was quiet. Amami couldn't stop fretting over what things she should say, what she shouldn't. The names of the important people that would be there and practicing how to formerly introduce herself. With that the ride seemed so much shorter to her, than it really was, making her internally scream in panic as the car finally arrived at a large impressive mansion. The Akashi estate: the mansion where Akashi senior resided whenever he was in Tokyo. The front was a large iron gate that made way for a long-winded, but well-kept, driveway that showed the impressive garden that stretched out in front of the building. A beautiful fountain that had spotlights directed at it stood right in front of the impressive entrance of the mansion.

When the car finally turned around the fountain to make an ever so soft halt in front of the stairs towards the entrance, Amami swallowed a nervous lump away in her throat. _“Be yourself.”_ She heard Takao say in her mind, effectively calming her, if only a little.

“Have a pleasant evening, Amami-san.” The driver opened the door for her and helpfully reached out a hand to guide her out of the car and towards the stairs. Another polite bow before he smoothly walked towards the limousine and drove off, making way for the upcoming limousine behind them.

If she thought the outside of the mansion looked impressive, she was simply in pure awe as she entered it. She knew the Akashi's were a very wealthy family due to their success, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise to see the luxurious ballroom. Elaborate decorations, expensive furniture, impressive chandeliers from the ceiling.. and the list goes on.

After half an hour of carefully navigating herself through the already large crowd in the ballroom she finally found Akashi who stood right next to his father. It was as if she saw the spitting image of her friend, only an older version of him. Though they didn't share the same color hair- and eye-wise, they did have that same imposing and intimidating posture. 

It was after a while that Akashi noticed Amami talking to someone in the crowd. The corners of his lips lifted as he noticed Amami smiling brightly while talking politely with the man in front of her. He took that moment to secretly take in the image of her. She looked stunning in that dress, he could always appreciate Amami in this sort of getup. 

Having admired Amami from a distance long enough, he decided to walk up towards her. He gave both of them a charming smile when he greeted both Amami and the man she was talking to. “Good evening Amami-san, Kashima-san. I hope you find the evening to your liking so far.” Gently inclining his head towards the two.

“Who wouldn't with such a beautiful woman as conversation partner! The evening is terrific, your father must be pleased, Akashi-san.” The older man praised both Amami and the beautiful mansion as he respectfully bowed.

Amami humbly inclined her head towards the older man. “You are too kind, Kashima-san. Good evening Akashi-san, thank you for the invitation.” She demurely greeted Akashi, pleased she used a more respectable honorific for the situation.

Akashi merely waved his hand in dismissal and gave her a charming smile. “It is my pleasure Amami-san.” A small secret lift of the corners of his lips went almost unnoticed by her. “Would you hold it against me, if I would steal your _beautiful conversation partner_ away from you, Kashima-san?” Having used the older man's own words, Akashi motioned for Amami to follow him as Kashima obliged with a _“Not at all, it was nice talking to both of you.”_ before taking his leave.

Akashi led both of them to a more secluded area of the large ballroom, giving them a chance to talk more comfortably. “I see you're already making connections.” He smiled when he saw Amami let out a silent nervous breath behind him, thinking he wasn't looking.

“Yes, well.. that was the point of the invitation, no?” She chuckled lightly as her gaze landed upon her friend standing in front of her.

He looked very handsome in a light gray suit that simply screamed it was worth several months of salary. _'Money well spent'_ she mentally added. 

“Well, not entirely, admittedly.” Making Amami raise a curious eyebrow. “It's true that this evening will do both of us well, regarding our nearing commence of career. I also wanted to have your company however.” He explained while grabbing hold of two flutes of champagne when a waiter offered them. He carefully placed the glass in Amami's hand who accepted it with a quick _“Thank you.”_

She wondered if Akashi was simply still in his professional charming mode, or that the man was indeed happy to have her around tonight. “So, _Akashi-san_ , how are _you_ enjoying this evening?” Amami playfully smiled before taking a small sip from her glass.

While Akashi could easily succumb to answer with a flirtatious response, he wisely opted not to. “The evening has gone well so far, the guests are enjoying themselves which is always a good thing. I expect good things to happen, of course the night is young and a lot of alcohol is flowing.. so anything can happen.” He rambled a little as his gaze swooped over the ballroom floor taking in all the guests.

“That didn't answer my question.” Amami winked innocently when Akashi looked surprised at her.

“I guess it doesn't Amami-kun, my apologies. I'm enjoying the food, drinks and music. And I definitely can't complain about the company either.” He playfully bowed in apology before a serious look took hold of his features again. “I shouldn't hog it however and let you mingle with the rest of our guests. I could introduce you to several interesting people if you'd like.”

“That'd be lovely, Akashi-kun.” She sweetly smiled before following the man around once more towards the other guests.

The night went on as both of them talked with various important and notorious people. Men who all had their own company or were some sort of CEO or hotshot in very successful companies. Akashi introduced Amami to a few of them which he deemed to be interesting for Amami. After a few he decided to let Amami to it and let her mingle for herself, making him do exactly the same.

**************

Later that evening Amami needed a breather and made her way outside through one of the many tall glass doors the ballroom had, leading to a beautiful secluded patio. The music was still audible, but muted enough so she could put her mind to rest. She had enjoyed the evening a lot, socializing with influential people and the occasional dance.

She gazed over the dim-lit patio and garden, mulling over the conversations she had earlier. One of them had been with Kashima. It seemed that both shared some thoughts on various topics making for interesting discussions. To Kashima it started to become clear that Amami was a bright and witty woman that his company definitely could use, so it was of no surprise that the man had told Amami that he would consult his superiors and try to convince them for hiring her. Amami was surprised to have heard that, and she would be lying if the thought of working at his company didn't interest her. Eventually they exchanged their business cards and Kashima promised to contact her once he had talked to his superiors.

Amami was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear someone approach behind her. It was when Akashi placed his vest over her shoulders that she jumped up in surprise, letting out an inelegant squawk. “A-Akashi-kun.. don't sneak up on me like that!”

“Is that an order?” He raised one eyebrow inquisitively before smirking playfully. “If you weren't.. 'spacing out'.. you would've heard me call out to you.” Akashi had grown accustomed to Amami spacing out on the most random moments. Matter of fact, it had been happening more and more the last year.

She let out an uncharacteristic giggle, feeling giddy from the wonderful evening and the reasonable amount of alcohol she had taken in. “Maybe..? I was just thinking of my conversation with Kashima-san, we seem to be getting along quite well. He even plans to recommend me to his superiors..”

Akashi's heart fluttered seeing her sincerely laugh, she seemed so happy right now. They've come quite the way ever since the start of their school year. She had been feeling so miserable and alone, but slowly she seemed to be moving on. She had thrown herself completely into her studies now that even he had to be careful not to be outdone by her in class. He had always been there for her whenever she needed him so it was only normal they had grown closer lately. Without realizing it, being so caught up in his own thoughts, he started to stare at her with a fond smile.

“-ny for your thoughts.”

“Pardon?” Akashi was snapped out of his daydreaming when he heard her voice.

“You're spacing out yourself now.” She smiled an amused smug smile.

His heart started to hammer in his chest at the close proximity they were in. It felt as if she'd become even more beautiful than before in his eyes when she smiled up at him. “You look really beautiful tonight.” He meekly offered.

Amami was immediately reminded of the first time he had told her. It was on her brother's wedding when he asked her to dance. Instinctively she replied with the same: “You're looking pretty sharp yourself.” and gave him a playful nudge against his shoulder.

He couldn't take it anymore, he had been in love with the woman for so long now and he always held himself back for her sake. But when she was this close and finally smiling again thanks to him, he couldn't help it. He slowly leaned in and raised his hand towards her face, wishing to push away the ginger locks behind her face. 

It was at that same moment that Amami weakly turned away and fondled her necklace. She hadn't noticed he had come closer since she was now being reminded of her brother's wedding and with that.. of a certain tall redhead. Her smile slowly disappeared as her gaze was now directed at nothing specific in front of her.

Akashi's heart felt like it had been ripped out at the very sight of it. He had seen her fondle the necklace before and quickly came to realize what she was thinking about whenever she did, more like, who she was thinking about. It vexed him, it's been almost an entire year since they broke up and she was still thinking of him while it was he who had been there when Kagami left her. He initially never intended on chasing a romance with her, but ever since they had grown closer, he couldn't help but wonder 'Why not?'. He had given her so much time, waiting patiently for her to get over Kagami and now that he finally thought that he would have a chance he was painfully reminded that it wasn't the case. He quickly lowered his hand, taking a step back. Composing himself the best he could do at this moment and let out a small huff. “Let's go back inside, it's cold out here..”

“A-Ah, is it.. ? Sorry.. let's go.” She sheepishly responded with a weak smile herself before being guided back inside.

Akashi realized he was wrong in his previous assumptions: Amami hadn't been improving, she had shut off her feelings instead. Not dealing with the feelings she had, it had festered inside her instead. He felt like an idiot not realizing it sooner, the reasons why she began to throw herself into her studies with such 'gusto', more so than before. She was running away from it instead of facing her problems. Out of all the people around her, it was him who should've known better considering his own past and emotions. 'Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.' A quote from Sigmund Freud came into mind, making the redhead frown.

**************

“Mido-kun, have you seen the box with my clothes somewhere?” Amami yelled out from her empty bedroom.

“I just put that one in the truck downstairs, nanodayo. Why am I the only one dragging the heavy boxes?!” He breathed out in annoyance from inside the living-room.

“Because you're the muscle of our group.. Amami is the brain.” Takao smirked playfully, pushing the last box into Midorima's hands.

“And what does that make you exactly?” Midorima scowled at his boyfriend who was shoving another heavy box unto him.

“Your charismatic, ridiculously good-looking boyfriend that cheers you on of course!” He placed a kiss on Midorima's lips before nudging him out the door. He quickly followed behind his green-haired lover with several bags himself to stow into the truck.

After half a day of running up and down the stairs with various boxes and bags, they finally finished their work. All of Amami's belongings were now waiting in the truck. The trio now stood in a barren room that used to be her bedroom.

“So.. this is weird..” Takao let out an awkward chuckle, looking around in the empty room. “Are ya sure you want this?” He looked worried towards Amami.

“I'm not unloading the truck again!” Midorima yelled out before Amami could respond.

“Yes, I'm sure Kazu-chan. I'm working now so there's no real need for me to stay here anymore..” She softly smiled at her friends. She would miss living together with her friends, but even she was starting to go crazy with the lovesick couple. She'd been feeling like the fifth wheel of the car for quite some time now, so it only made sense to her, once she had a steady income, that she would leave the couple to themselves.

“..Aah, I'm gonna miss livin' with ya though.” Takao put on a sad brave smile. He knew that they were getting too old to be living together and that it was time for them to move on, so he didn't press the issue much further.

“I'm sure finally living all by yourself with your boyfriend will help you manage.” Amami winked towards both of them, leaving Midorima in a flustered state as expected.

Takao merely ignored the teasing remark. He couldn't help but worry for his best friend as she was now about to move out to live by herself. “Is it really alright to live all alone, Seo? I mean.. I know you're old and smart enough.. it's just that..” He meekly shrugged his shoulders, not entirely sure where he was going anymore. It's not like he wanted to look down upon her, but he knew his best friend too well to know that for Seo being all alone when she gets home from work, could be bad.

She had an inkling to what he was trying to convey, she wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or touched at his concern. What she did know was that staying here wasn't an option either, the couple deserved to live together without her intruding presence. Now that she finally started working she could move out and move on with her life as well. “I'll be fine Kazu.”

“We'll be here if you need us, nanodayo. I do suggest to go downstairs and let the man know you're ready to move out, since he's still waiting.” Midorima motioned towards the door of what once was her bedroom.

“You're right.. and thanks.” Amami smiled at the two before making her way out. She quickly glanced back inside the empty room, nodding to herself before heading downstairs.

She talked to the man of the truck and gave him the address of her new home. She had told him he could easily follow her car since she already knew the way. She quickly thanked her two friends and hugged them before hopping into her small black car to start the drive towards her new apartment.

**************

The sun cast its last rays of light of the day when Amami was standing in her living room of her new apartment. She was surrounded by countless of unopened boxes when she was staring through her window. She now lived on the fifth floor of a tall apartment complex, the place was reasonably spacious. The building thankfully had an elevator, making it a lot easier to bring the boxes in her new home.

Asides the living-room, kitchen, bathroom and small hallway she had two bedrooms. One was smaller which made her decide to turn that room into her office while the bigger room would end up as her bedroom. With the money she was now earning she could afford a place like this.

A lot had happened in the past few months: she finally managed to get a driver's license and a car so she wouldn't have to commute by train anymore. The second November she turned twenty-two and a month later, the fifth of December to be exact, she became an aunt. The healthy baby was a boy who was named Amami Kotarou. 

Both Akashi and Amami graduated this year from university, Amami never managed to beat Akashi once with the exam scores in all those years, but she was always pretty damn close. 

As expected: Akashi went to work at his father's company, his impressive abilities already landed him in a fairly high position while Amami had taken up the offer of Kashima to work at his company as an account manager, once he had convinced his peers of her skills. 

Her job consisted of building strong relationships with their customers, ensuring the timely and successful delivery of their solutions according to customer needs and objectives and overall be the lead point of contact for any and all matters on the project. This meant that she had to use her social skills on them, but also had to make very detailed and in-depth documentation and presentations that would explain everything to them. It was that combination that had spoken to her in the first place, seeing she was adept in both fields.

Amami emptied her cup of green tea, being tired of the long day she decided to call it a day and unpack everything the next day. She would make do with sleeping on the couch for now.

With that, life had taken its next step in life for our friends, except for Midorima who was still studying in med-school. Amami had slowly, but surely broken contact with everyone, except for Takao, Midorima and Akashi. At first she always politely declined their invitations, telling them she had to study or work instead. The thought of seeing the very same people that always reminded her of her now ex-boyfriend was still too painful to her, even though she would never admit that to anyone. So after the umpteenth rejection they eventually gave up and carried on with their own lives which now consisted of their own jobs.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a song playing in the background during this chapter, if you are wondering which one it is: Norah Jones - Don't know why. I stumbled upon this song a while ago and I couldn't stop thinking of Amami and Kagami when I listened to it, so I thought I should add it in.   
> Hope you enjoy o/

"I'll be a little late, something came up and I had to quickly deal with it. Don't wait for me though, I'll be there in half an hour." Amami was running dangerously on heels through the parking lot towards her car. Phone pushed against her ear while she was hurriedly looking for her carkeys.

A deep sigh could be heard on the other side of the line. "We'll wait, just hurry up." Ushio's tone, clearly dissapointed, answered through the phone.

"Sorry.. I'll do my best." Her keys jingled loudly as she drove them into the doorlock.

"Drive carefully." With that the phone went dead. Ushio had hung up on her, not wanting to wait for a response.

Amami softly cursed when she sat down in the driver's seat, quickly bringing the car to life. She was late. Late on her nephew's first birthday. She was in the midst of preparing herself for the trip towards her brother when her phone rang. It seemed that the client unexpectedly had to switch around their set meeting. Kashima immediately informed Amami and told her the meeting was going to happen in fifteen minutes, demanding her to get to her workplace asap with the proper documentation.

It hadn't been the first time that meetings were being rescheduled on last notice, forcing Amami to dart and get ready. This time however was very untimely though. She had been invited to the birthday party of her only nephew. She couldn't simply drop by another time, which she would've done otherwise. What's worse, it wasn't the first time she had stood up an arranged meeting with her family and friends at the last moment because something had come up at work.

When she finally arrived at Ushio's house, she quickly hopped out of the car and made her way towards the door, ringing the bell.

After a small moment the door opened, revealing Ushio in the doorway. His face fell when he saw his baby sister was still wearing her business attire. A grey two piece uniform with skirt, white button up shirt underneath. 'Should've known..' He though as he let out a sigh. "We're waiting, come in." He nods his head inside while letting Amami inside.

She silently obeyed, feeling bad. When she entered their living-room she saw her family and some close friends of theirs all sitting at a large table. A birthday cake was sitting on top of it: 'Kotarou #1' was written on it in a colorful purple icing. "I'm sorry for making everyone wait." She deeply bowed towards the large group in front of her.

With that the festivities could finally continue. The mood had been drastically lifted when they started to sing a birthday song towards the boy who was sitting on his mother's lap in front of the cake. The boy gurgling happy noises, clapping his chubby hands as he enjoyed the extra attention he was given today. He had inherited the ginger hair color from his father but sported beautiful light brown eyes he shared with his mother. It was when Kotarou was facing the lit candle on top of the cake, bravely trying to blow out to candle as his mother was instructing, drool dripping from his chin, truely trying, that Amami could finally smile.. a little. Miki eventually blew out the candle herself before praising her baby son.

"Uwaaah Ko-chan, good job!" They all cheered at the boy, resulting in Kotarou to burst into more giggles and gurgles.

The cake was cut up in equal pieces by Ushio and before u know it, everyone was clearing their plate and talking to one another.

"Alright guys, it's time for the presents!" Miki cheered as she placed Kotarou on her husband's lap before making her way towards the pile of gifts that stood on the table in the kitchen.

Amami's eyes widened and felt dread settle into her chest once more. 'Shit, it's still at home! I forgot to bring it along because I was in a hurry for the meeting!' She suddenly felt sick in her stomach. If she didn't already fuck up badly enough by being late again, she completely overdid it by forgetting his birthday present.

**************

"Seriously Seo?! Is your work that more important than your own family?" Ushio yelled at his sister when he had dragged her into the backyard, away from the rest. It probably was the first time he had raised his voice towards her.

"O-Ofcourse not! Look, I'm sorry alright? I'll keep saying it, if that's what you want. I fucked up!" Amami was startled by her brother's yelling which made her mind fumble instead. She never swore in front of others, nor was she the kind to yell either.

"What I wanted was for my sister to be on time for once, to choose her family above her precious work. Dammit Seo, this is Kotarou's first birthday, how can you just shrug that off so easily?" Ushio heaved out, his emotions ringing clear in his voice.

"You _are_ more important! It's not my fault my client had something pop up suddenly so I had to go.. I've been working on this case for months now.." Her voice slowly lowered as she said that, realizing herself that she was wrong. She couldn't manage to say it however.

"It _is_ your fault Seo, you should've told them that you couldn't. You're not their puppet. If you really cared, you would've come." His voice had gone cold, just as his glare pointed towards her. He had been leniant towards her all this time, but today was too important for her to fuck up.. and she did. He was angry, but moreover deeply dissapointed.

Amami entirely froze up as she heard that last sentence roll off his lips. The emotion behind it, so familiar, and it hit her like a truck. Nausea set in once more in full force, not only was she being torn apart by the guilt towards her family, now she was reminded of _him_ again. She lowered her head so her face wasn't visible anymore, but remained quiet.

"I give up.. it's not like anything I'd say would make you realize that a career isn't everything in life.  
Perhaps you'll understand once you have a family of your own." He sighed in defeat.

Amami's knuckles were white from clenching her fists, the words registering in her mind. Her head was still lowered, so her brother couldn't see her expression. She clenched her teeth, biting her bottomlip so hard the skin almost broke. The words she was about to say suddenly came out as calm as ever, though it wouldn't be any less nastier. 

"Whatever.. at least I can take pride in the fact that I didn't need anyone to get where I am now. It's thanks to me that our company has been immensely successul, because I am willing to work hard for it. No.. because I _have_ to work hard in order to get that. Not everyone wants the easy life given to them by their father. Not everyone wants a family accompanied with that either. At least I wouldn't smear my 'oh so perfect life' in other's faces so tastelessly like you've been doing" She had raised her head meanwhile, her face entirely contorted in anger and pain as she spat the words out venomously. It was when she was done talking that she took a step forward. She wasn't even looking at her brother anymore.

"Get out." Ushio halted her briefly, the words were almost being hissed between his clenched teeth.

"Already on it.." She brushed by her brother, not even giving him a last glance. She was seething to the core.

"Don't bother sending your gift by post, we're not interested anymore. Do your best with your clients." He bitterly told a retreating Amami which caused the younger sibling to slightly hesitate her stride before commencing once more. 

She couldn't take it anymore and quickly made her way towards the front door, not even bothering to say goodbye to the people inside.

**************

“Don't you have to work Kashima-sama? I heard getting Kihara-san to invest into our company is very important.” A cheerful voice chirped from the female secretary who was standing in Kashima's office.

“No need to worry, my little kitten, Amami is working on it. Now where were we..” He stepped closer to the woman, groping the firm butt of the woman.

“Oh.. you!” She giggled even further at his ministrations. “.. Is it really ok though? I heard it was going to be a lot of work for our department.” The woman slightly hesitated before leaning into his touches once more.

“Leave the thinking to us pumpkin, it might ruin your beautiful face.” Kashima felt slightly annoyed at the woman's hesitation, but insisted nonetheless. He pushed the woman against his desk, effectively caging the woman in front of him.

“Aaaw.. anything for you!” She blushed, not realizing it wasn't meant to come off as a compliment but rather an insult.

Meanwhile a few offices further in the building Amami was slaving away at her desk. Piles upon piles of papers were stacked on it as she was working through them. She had been working on the Kihara files for months now, this was going to be her biggest task yet and even she started to feel unsure on how it'll work out. It had been straining her immensely, working almost non stop on it that even her weekends were filled with sitting at her desk at home, instead of enjoying the beautiful weather outside. It had been a very soft and warm spring so far, but sadly she simply didn't have any time to enjoy it fully.

She sighed as she felt the beginning of a headache come up, placing her reading glasses on her desk before she stood up and walked towards the window. She opened it up and let a soft breeze enter her office. “You can do this, Seo, they're counting on you.” She told herself while massaging her temples.

She didn't linger too long however and quickly sat back down at her desk to continue her work. Determination brimming as she tackled the complicated matter in front of her.

*Beep beep*

Amami's train of thought got interrupted as her phone indicated she had a message. She quickly tapped away on the device and noticed it was one from Takao.

“Seo-chan, we're going to the movies this weekend! You have to join us, it's been ages since we've seen you!! We're going to that one restaurant you love afterwards and if Shin-chan allows it, we'll get hammered at a bar after!! Pleaaaase come this weekend, it's going to be the four of us!”

Amami sighed as she read the message, not having realized herself it had indeed been a while since she saw her friends. She rubbed her forehead tiredly before sending him a message back.

“Sorry Kazu-chan, I'm really swamped with work right now. Got a very important deadline next week, another time? You guys have fun though. Say hi to Mido-kun and Akashi-kun for me this weekend.”

She hoped her friend would understand and not press the matter further. She was really dying to spend some time with her friends however, but work was so crazy for her lately that she sometimes was even amazed that her home didn't look like a wreck by neglecting it. When she was in the midst of planning out her chores tonight on top of her project she was interrupted with another message.

“Next time I'm dragging your ass out of your apartment if I have to. I'm sure Akashi can find a way to get inside without a key. Seriously though: we miss you, give us the old Seo back! Laters!”

She rested her head in her palm, reading the message again. “Old Seo.. huh?” She merely sighs, putting her phone back into her purse before continuing her work.

**************

Her work had paid off, they managed to convince Kihara to invest a massive sum of money into their company. Having great confidence of the success awaiting them in the future. The higher-ups were very pleased with the work her department had done and decided to throw a small party in their office as a way of saying 'thank you for the great work'.

Amami couldn't be happier when the first news of Kihara accepting the deal made her ears. She felt relieved even more than normal, since she truly felt that this was out of her reach for once. But she managed to pull it off nonetheless and she couldn't be any more proud of herself at the successful job.

She glanced over the people celebrating, noticing Kashima standing in the middle of the room, talking with his boss. His smile so wide it almost split his face in two. Right next to him was his secretary who, as always, was giggling. Amami let out a small huff. 'I feel bad for his wife..' She thought, sympathizing for the poor woman. It wasn't really a secret on her floor that Kashima had something going on with his secretary, but even so, shouldn't they be less obvious about it? She was a lot younger than he was and very pretty on top of that. It was beyond Amami as to how the woman could not find someone better.. unmarried, her age.. It wasn't her place to judge however, it's their lives, no need to meddle with it.

“Ah, Amami-san, the woman I wanted to talk to! Please come join me!” Kashima started to usher Amami towards his office.

“Is there anything you need, Kashima-san?” Amami politely asked when she entered the office, unsure why they couldn't talk where they were. She heard the door close shut behind her when he entered.

“Please, take a seat Amami-san.” He motioned towards the chair in front of his desk before sitting on his, more grander, chair behind it.

Amami did as she was told and waited for the man to speak up when they both sat down.

“We did it! We managed to pull off quite the feat by getting Kihara in our boat.” He beamed proudly. “We couldn't have done it without you Amami-san you're a great asset to the team.”

Amami smiled and politely bowed her head in thanks. She knew that the majority of the work done on this case was hers. She had slowly started to wonder what Kashima had done when she made the final notes on the file. “Thank you, Kashima-san, it was quite the challenge but I'm glad the work paid off.”

“It most definitely did! Our bosses were so pleased that they decided to give me a raise for guiding my team to great success. I guess I'll have to thank you for that.” Kashima smiled in a gentle way at the woman in front of her.

“I'm happy to hear that, Kashima-san.” Amami answered, her voice slightly wavering.

It was then that the door suddenly burst open, revealing the bubbly secretary holding a bottle of champagne and glasses in her hands. “Oh.. I thought you were alone..” She nervously chuckled.

“Ah, just give us a moment Nagase-chan, we'll be done in a bit.” He cleared his throat, motioning for the woman to close the door again.

“S-Sorry..” She hurriedly closed the door behind her, leaving Amami and Kashima alone once more.

“Forgive my secretary.. she's not so bright.. where was I? Ah yes I was thanking you for your hard work. I'm counting on you with our future clients!” His smile sickly sweet once more.

“I-I'll do my best..” Amami managed to get out with a small smile of her own.

“Well then, I won't keep you any further. Go ahead and enjoy the party, you've earned it.” He stood up and followed a shook up Amami towards his door.

When she was finally standing outside she realized what this all meant. She heard her superiors all commend Kashima on a job well done while some of her colleagues gave her a sympathetic smile. It seemed that Kashima was taking all the glory while it was her who did most of the work and everyone knew that except for the higher-ups. Months of hard work, neglecting her friends, family and herself and this is how it's being repaid. No raise, not even a bonus. Instead she got a half-assed thank you and a party at her work where cheap wine was being poured into plastic cups.

“Perfect..” She muttered lowly to herself before she walked towards her own office, wanting to be alone right now.

She knew things like these happen all the time in this world so she shouldn't have been so surprised. Her father also had warned her about exactly such things, yet here she was: feeling defeated as she slumped down in her chair.

**************

“Who does that bastard think he is?! I should go over there and punch the living daylights out of him!” Takao threatened in anger.

“Please don't Kazu-chan.. That would help no one.” Amami gave the man a small smile of appreciation.

“I agree with Amami. Violence won't help anything nanodayo.” Midorima placed several cups of green tea on the coffee table before taking his seat in his trusted relax-chair.

“Shin-chaaan! This man is obviously abusing Seo, how can you not be angry at this. She has been working for almost a year and half at their company, busting her ass and then he walks away with all the credit?! This man should be taught a less--” Takao ranted until he was interrupted.

“Kazu.. it is what it is.. it can't be helped you know..” She shrugged as she nestled herself into the familiar comfortable couch. 

She felt exhausted, even though she was looking forward to spending some more time with her friends, she still had to drag herself to visit them. It was clear by the darkened skin under her eyes that she'd been sleeping badly.

“Whatever you say Seo-chan.. I still think this is unacceptable.. Anyway enough of that, how is your nephew? I'm sure he's grown a lot already, how old is he now?” Takao asked, wanting to change topics before he would lose it and actually go to her workplace and punch the man nonetheless.

Amami grimaced at the mention of her nephew. 'Great, now he's opening _that_ can of worms? This is going to be a long day.' She darkly thought. “He's a year and half now..it's been a while since I saw him though..”

“What.. ya still didn't talk things through with your brother? I thought it was already settled, you guys never fight.”

“If he wanted my apology, he would've accepted them on the birthday party. Not much more you can do really.. he was very clear that he didn't wish to see me.” Amami stared at the content of her cup.

“Still.. that was in the heat of the moment.. you both said things ya didn't mean.. probably. Why not try an' talk to him, I'm sure he misses ya too.” Takao shrugged innocently.

“Why does it have to be me to initiate again? If he's such a perfect responsible adult like he always claims to be, then he can contact me instead and apologize himself. He's not entirely innocent in here either.. He had no right to look down on me and harp further than necessary while I already had apologized several times for being late. He should accept that my work is important to me and that I can't just drop it whenever he fancies it. He'll never understand it of course, since he'll never have to fear being fired by his own father..” Amami bitterly scoffed when she was done with her rant.

“He probably wasn't angry for you being late Seo.. he's most likely worried over you and upset that you don't realize that you've been pushing yourself too far.” Takao tried to make a decent case for her brother, knowing the two siblings didn't mean anything bad being said that day.

“How the fuck would you know? You weren't there when it happened..” She growled out in annoyance.

The two man just stared and blinked at her. Both surprised by the foul language and nasty way of spitting it out. They couldn't immediately form a sentence as they were both still baffled, letting an uncomfortable silence descend upon them.

“Sorry.. I shouldn't have said that.. It's not easy alright? I'm tired, I barely got any time for myself and even though I'm complaining about my work, I do love it so I don't want to lose it either. If I would stop doing what I am right now, I risk losing it.. risk losing the thing for which I gave up.. _so_ much for.. I just can't..” If she'd put any more force on her cup, it would most likely break by the force her grip had on it. She realized she went too far towards her friends and immediately wanted to apologize. Her mind was feeling so hazy lately that she had issues expressing herself. That's also the sole reason why she blabbed out the things she just told them.

“Seo..” Takao didn't know how to respond, the moment he saw his friend almost break down right next to him was startling. 

Midorima deeply frowned, as a doctor in training he could clearly see the symptoms and the reason behind it from the woman. She was severely stressed out and not taking care of herself. Exhaustion causing the woman to be very irritable, it was no surprise really, the way she had been pushing herself. No sane person could pull such things off and be unaffected.

“Amami.. now that it's a bit more quiet at your work, perhaps you should take some well deserved time off? A week or two away from it all would be good on your body, nanodayo.” Midorima calmly but carefully voiced his opinion.

Amami opened her mouth, ready for a quick answer: the usual, but immediately shut it once more. She seemed to be mulling over his words, which urged Midorima to continue.

“It would be wise to rest and regain your energy, the lovely weather only makes it even more worth it.” He decided he'd stop right there, he already had a rant going on in his head on how she should eat more nutritious food instead of the unhealthy crap she's been buying from the seven-eleven around her corner. Heading to bed on a more natural hour was right behind it on that list.

“Perhaps.. I should do so indeed.. I do deserve it..” Amami seemed even more interested by the thought of having some time for herself.

“Oh! I know! We could have a picnic in the park, a Hanami party like everyone else is doing! It's been ages since we've done that Seo!” He looked at Amami with puppy eyes, getting really into this Hanami idea.

“Sounds like fun.. I'm making the food however..” She cast an accusing look at Midorima which made the green-haired man let out a huff.

“I've become better at cooking, nanodayo...” Refusing to meet her smirk, the memories of black smoke covering half of their apartment passing through his mind.

The trio continued their afternoon in a more pleasant note, enjoying each other's company like they used to do years ago. They talked for hours about their jobs and studies, but also their personal lives and interests. It had been very refreshing for Amami who was still exhausted but somehow felt the haze in her mind subside in their comfortable presence. She needed this more than she realized.

“Alright, alright Kazu-chan, stop nagging me about it. It's the first thing I'll do when I get home, okay?” Amami breathlessly chuckled as she stood at the front door.

“Uhu! And if they decline your request for vacation, I _will_ come an' punch 'em.” Kazu threatened once more, but in a lighthearted fashion this time, his finger pointing towards the woman.

“Yes, yes, I know you will.. I'll send you a message once I have their answer, satisfied?” Amami rolled her eyes at her friends' playfulness.

“Sounds great.. have a safe trip home Seo..” Takao hugged the woman tightly, earning him grunts of dismay and muttering.

“Can't.. breathe..let go..” Even when she had said that, she squeezed him tighter as well, thankful for being her friend.

“Drive safely Amami..” Midorima smiled at the scene in front of him, this had earned him a bear hug from Amami as well which he gladly returned.

“I will, I'll see you guys later!” And with that she finally let the man go and made her way outside.

It was halfway the ride home that her radio started to play a song which had been very popular at the moment. She found the tune of it soothing and beautiful and started to sway her head in rhythm with the song, while driving. It wasn't until the singer started to sing that Amami was taken aback by the words. The female singer's voice was so beautiful that it really contrasted with the painful message the song had.

_I waited 'til I saw the sun,_  
I don't know why I didn't come.   
I left you by the house of fun,   
I don't know why I didn't come. 

_My heart is drenched in wine,_  
but you'll be on my mind,   
forever. 

_Out across the endless sea,_  
I would die in ecstasy.   
But I'll be a bag of bones,   
driving down the road alone. 

_My heart is drenched in wine,_  
but you'll be on my mind,   
forever. 

_Something has to make you run,_  
I don't know why I didn't come.   
I feel as empty as a drum  
I don't know why I didn't come. 

The lyrics sung by the sad yet beautiful voice together with the piano in the back resulted Amami to clench her steering wheel. Her eyes wide from shock at the sudden emotions wanting to burst out of her. She quickly pulled over her car to the side of the road, making way for others to pass by as she was trying to compose herself. Emotions that she had buried deep down inside years ago had managed to break the surface as she was still clinging onto her steering wheel. She had managed to stow them away for so long now, but the mix of her exhaustion, a nice evening with her friends and this painful song had unconsciously broken down the wall she had put up a long time ago.

It was only a while later that she realized tears were falling down her cheeks, she hadn't cried ever since that night. She had made sure that it couldn't happen anymore when she shut off those emotions. But now all those unshed tears were coming out. Her body shook with every sob she let out, she wrapped her arms around her in order to comfort herself seeing she had the sudden need to be held, but she still felt cold. It was now she realized she'd been feeling cold ever since he left. No.. ever since she left him. She missed his arms around her, his voice, his laugh. The way he hugged her from behind, making her feel safe and warm in his arms. She even missed his hotheadedness, getting riled up over nothing which resulted him in a fit of growling out to whatever was upsetting him. She missed his warmth ever since she let him go, ever since she didn't follow him. 

All those thoughts suddenly emerged and it was suffocating her. “How could I be so stupid.. letting him go..” It still took her a long while before she fully calmed down, strangely feeling relieved. She looked at the clock and nodded in determination before she made a sharp u-turn, her tires screeching on the road as she did.

Forty minutes later she arrived at her destination. She looked herself in the eyes through the mirror above her head, nodding once more. “I fucked up with him, I won't let the same happen again.” She stepped out the car and made her way towards the door, ringing the bell.

Moments later the door opened.

“Seo...? W-What are you doing here?” Ushio stood there flabbergasted by the sudden appearance of his sister at his doorstep.

It was then that she once more started to bawl like a little child, while trying to utter out words that were far beyond comprehension due to the sobbing.

“Come inside so you can calm down..” Ushio ushered his sister inside and motioned for her to follow him into the living-room once she stepped out of her shoes.

“Oh.. Seo-kun.. what a surprise..” Miki looked up in sincere shock before she quickly glanced at the clock which indicated it was already half past nine in the evening.

Seo was still sobbing all over the place, not able to answer her sister in law properly.

“Come on Seo, calm down, what happened?” Ushio went to sit next to her on the couch, worried something bad had happened.

Miki decided to head to the kitchen and make some tea for the unexpected guest. Quickly checking on Kotarou to see if he was still sleeping with the commotion downstairs before she joined the two once more in the living-room.

It was when she placed the tea on the coffee table that Amami had managed to calm down mostly. Tears were still flowing but she could finally speak in a more comprehensible way. She immediately started to apologize towards both her brother and sister in law. Telling them that she was out of line, didn't mean those vile words she had said to him. She apologized for every single time she was late or stood them up, making her work top priority instead of her family. She admitted that he was right and she was wrong, it's what her father always taught his children: family is the most important aspect of life. And she had been an awful sister these past few years. She was still crying when she ended her case, it was as if they opened some sort of floodgate and she was unable to close it.

Ushio, surprised by his sister's actions weakly smiled and pulled her into a hug. Relief washing over him as he started his own apologies towards her. He shouldn't have been so insensitive back then and accepted her apologies that day instead of stubbornly being angry with her. He did try to explain that he was worried about her which had received him a warm chuckle from his sister. Her realizing Takao was right all along.

After some more talking Amami thought about her plans with her friends, the Hanami party. She thought it would be nice if she could spend it with her family as well so before she knew it she was already inviting them to join her and her friends for the picnic. The couple smiled and seemed sincerely interested in that. It would be a fun day with the family to spend together while watching the cherry blossoms.

Not much later Amami realized what time it was and sheepishly told them she had to go and apologized for showing up so late at their doorstep.

“You're always welcome here, Seo. Get home safely.” The couple waved her goodbye at the front door as Amami drove off in her car.


	21. Chapter 21

Warm hands roamed over her shivering body making her skin burst with goosebumps. Both panting at the intimacy as they were sprawled on her bed, limbs tangled with each other's.

Amami was half naked on her bed, gasping for air as she felt lips placing soft kisses on her bare stomach. The action made her look downwards, staring into red eyes who were staring right back at her.

She slid her fingers through bright red hair before clenching it tightly when he gave a playful nip with his teeth on the sensitive flesh of her belly.

She hissed out in pleasure at the unfamiliar assault of the man who had now placed himself above her. Cold red eyes piercing hers now with the intensity of a lion. It was then that his left eye suddenly flickered into a golden hue. 

“Guh!” Amami woke up with a start, her heartbeat beating so loudly she barely could hear anything else. 

She was alone in her bed, her body damp with sweat as she slowly started to realize what just had happened. She had a dream of Akashi, quite the sexual one at that, making her thoughts fly all over the empty room she was currently in.

“What the hell..” She grimaced, grabbing her phone that was neatly placed on her nightstand as always. She hissed at the bright light burning her eyes when she checked the time, which indicated it was five in the morning.

She placed the device back on her nightstand while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her body had calmed down meanwhile, but her brain was still flustered. She felt awkward at the entire situation, she just had a sexual dream involving one of her best friends. If that wasn't bad enough, the fact that she must've mistook the red eyes and hair for Kagami at first was just adding insult to injury.

She looked around her room, feeling the damp sheets from her sweat cling unto her limbs in an unpleasant way.

“Might as well get up and prepare the picnic basket..” She muttered to no one in particular as she got out, slowly dragging her feet towards her bathroom.

Today was the day when she had promised Takao and Midorima to go to the park for their Hanami party. Ushio, Miki, Kotarou and Akashi were also going to join them, having missed Amami a lot during the past half year.

**************

“So, are we goin' to meet the others at the park, or did you guys actually plan something more concrete?” Takao asked Amami, placing his chin on the seat in front of him.

“We're supposed to meet up at the southern entrance in about.. ten minutes, Kazu.” Amami swiftly darted her eyes from the road to check the time before answering her friend.

“Mmm.. aren't we late then?” His voice teasing as he locked eyes in the rear mirror with hers.

Amami showed him a confused frown. “What are you talking about.. we still have ten minutes?” Her foot subtly lowering on the pedal to gain some speed.

“T-Take the time you need Amami, just drive carefully!” Midorima who shared the backseat with his lover shouted out abruptly, panicking at the sudden movement the woman was making.

“Yes, yes.., I'm always safe Mido-kun.” She gave Midorima a quick wink over her shoulder before making a sudden turn to the right causing the men in the back to lurch to their left.

Takao fell on Midorima's shoulder as the other was squished against the door. The man simply wiggled his eyebrows when he cast a devious smirk up towards a very disheveled Midorima. This earned him a haughty “Stop that and go back to your own seat!”.

“By the way Seo-chan.. you're looking rather cute today.. any particular reason for that?” Takao questioned not so innocently, focusing entirely on his next victim.

“W-What do you mean with that, Kazu? I don't look particularly spe--” She started, glancing towards her attire which had indeed been pretty normal for her.

“My my, it's alright to admit you dressed up cutely for Akashi today.” His grin became wider when this caused the woman to frown and stare in utter disbelief at the man through the rear mirror.

“You need to stop that Kazu. This is normal and nothing special for anyone.. why do you always have to bring up Akashi-kun like this?!” She breathes an exasperated sigh.

Takao didn't really expect this kind of response from his friend, she always seemed to have taken it in stride before, why the change? He glanced towards his lover next to him who was too focused on clenching his seat belt to participate fully in the conversation. “Well.. wouldn't it.. ya know.. be nice -for you two..--”

“Don't you dare finish that sentence, Kazu. Honestly.. this is all because of you, the way you _always_ have to bring up Akashi when we meet up. As if you're expecting anything to happen between us, which.. is _not_ going to, I might add.. If you didn't I wouldn't have..--” She abruptly stopped herself, but it was already too late. Her eyes widened slightly, realizing that this would only stir up the raven-haired friend further. This caused her to look through the mirror to look back at a very intrigued smirk.

“You wouldn't have.. what? Could it be..?” Takao already started to run through a number of possibilities, each one turning his smirk into a full blown grin.

“K-Kazu, seriously stop it! It's nothing like what you're thinking.. I just..” She sighed in defeat, knowing the man wasn't going to let up any moment. The conversation even had made Midorima pay closer attention towards them, instead of panicking by her driving abilities. A blush spread on her cheeks as she was trying to think of a good way to explain what had happened to her this morning.

“You just...?” Takao leaned his chin back on her chair from the back, too amused with how things were developing suddenly.

“Fine.. I'll tell you, but I'm warning you: it's _nothing_ special, there are no special feelings that you hope may be there. I.. had a dream.. about Akashi this morning..” She hesitated, not sure if she should really tell her friends about it, she was embarrassed enough about it already. “..of the sexual kind.” She quickly finished the sentence before he could pester her, opting to go for the quick pain.

“...”

“...”

Midorima shoved his glasses up his nose a little too brash, trying to hide the blush of second hand embarrassment while staring out of the window. Takao could only stare back at his friend, slowly registering the information given to him.

“Was he good?” He gave her a toothy grin.

“No, it was even scary, now shut up about Akashi in that way already. If you wouldn't always nag about him I wouldn't have had that dream to begin with.” She nodded to herself, remembering her phone call with Takao last night. Sure that must've been the reason, he had been teasing her as usual, so that's why, right?

Takao burst out in his typical laughter, his hands clenching his midriff. “How is any of _that_ my fault? And what do ya mean with scary? What exactly _did_ ya dream of, Seo?!” Takao threw some playful accusing stares at her while trying to refrain from bursting once more into a laughing fit.

“It's not funny.. and barely anything happened, so stop thinking about weird stuff too. But.. his eye.. it suddenly turned golden, while staring at me. It was.. like in high school.. At any rate, it was pretty.. startling. I still blame you for all of that, however.” Amami just glared at her friend in the mirror who was too caught up with guffawing through the entire ordeal.

**************

Later on the group had found each other and were now all sitting on multiple blankets on the grass while enjoying the atmosphere that a Hanami party always seemed to have. Takao had stopped ribbing Amami about the dream when they exited the car, not wanting to torment the woman any further. Perhaps the chastising glare Midorima had sent him was also the reason why he let up.

“Mmm, I don't really see anything wrong, Amami-san, Kotarou looks very healthy to me, nanodayo.” Midorima had been staring thoroughly through the kid's mouth, checking his throat for any kind of indication of inflammation or infection.

“Ah, I guess you're right.. sorry to have bothered you, Midorima-kun.” Miki, who was holding Kotarou on her lap softly smiled. “I guess I worry too much..”

This caused Midorima to give the mother a fond smile before patting Kotarou's head gently. “It's only normal for a parent to be worried about their child, nothing to be sorry over. I don't mind it either.”

Miki smiled gratefully before her gaze landed on her son when he suddenly started to trash in her arms. His chubby arms reaching out in front of him as if he was trying to grab something.

“Oh, I think he wants to go to his aunt.” Miki giggled as the kid was now trying to wriggle himself out of her lap.

“Is that so, Ko-chan? Come here then..” Amami held out her arms, gently grabbing the small upper body before firmly placing him on her own lap.

Kotarou let out a small squeal of excitement and started to talk some gibberish, as if he was trying to communicate with his aunt.

“Oooh, you sure are talkative suddenly, Ko-chan. How many words do you already know uh? As a fellow Amami it's up to you to keep up with the legacy, you know.” Amami looked sternly while poking the plump belly of her nephew which caused the little one to giggle and gurgle in delight.

“He actually knows quite some words already, lately he's been blurting out more and more.” Ushio fondly looked upon the scene in front of him, chest full of pride for his son.

“As to be expected! Can you call my name? Say auntie Seo.. aaauntieee Seooo..” Amami spoke out clearly and in a slow way for Kotarou. “Auntie Seo.. come on, you can do it..”

“...Sippy!” He reaches out his fist in glee as he blurts it out.

“S-Sippy.. that's not even close.. aaaauntieeee Seoooo...” Amami tried once more to get Kotarou to call her name.

“Ah, I think he's thirsty.. hang on...” Miki hands Amami his sippycup with juice, pointing at it sheepishly. “Sippy.” The mother smiled apologetically towards her sister in law.

“Oh.. sippycup huh..” She just smiled a little, defeated by 'Sippycup'. Amami brought the cup towards Kotarou's mouth, offering him the drink he desperately wanted.

Both chubby hands latched on the two handles on the side of the cup when the kid was sucking the beverage from the cup. His light brown eyes sparkling with contentment as he did.

For a small moment it was quiet in the group as they all fondly looked at the little one enjoying his juice.

Akashi's gaze lingered on the two next to him, both aunt and nephew enjoying their time together. A fond smile slightly curved his lips as he saw Amami smile at the little one in her arms. “You'll have to practice together some more, Amami-kun.”

Amami looked to her left towards Akashi who was giving them a charming smile. “Ah, we'll have all the time in the world for that, isn't that right, Ko-chan?” She looked back towards her nephew who was done drinking now.

The boy's eyes wandered from his aunt towards the low voice of the man next to her. His gaze taking in Akashi as if it was the first time he really saw the man. “Uaaah..” His eyes widened when his gaze lingered on the man. His small hands started to reach out to him. “Up..up..!”

“What, already tired of your aunt? Want to sit on Akashi-kun's lap?” Amami let out a deep sigh while chuckling at an even bigger defeat this time. The incessant squirming prompted the woman to give up. She looked towards Akashi who now resembled a deer in the headlights, unmoving as the thought was surely being processed in his mind.

“I-I don't think that's a good idea Amami-kun...” He nervously let out, eyeing the child who became more intrigued by his appearance by the second.

“Don't be silly, Akashi-kun. Here, I'll help you.” Amami shuffled closer towards Akashi before gently placing the toddler on the redheads lap. One arm supporting her nephew while the other urged the man next to her to hold Kotarou like she had before.

It took a while for the three to come to the conclusion that Kotarou wasn't intent on sitting on his lap. Instead he seemed to be more interested by the man's face by the way he was dead set on standing wobbly on the man's legs, gazing at Akashi. This caused the group to snicker and chuckle at the sight of a very scared and nervous Akashi doing his best not to drop the toddler while Amami was supporting both Kotarou and Akashi throughout the awkward position.

*Click*

Amami glanced over her shoulder, rolling her eyes as she saw Takao taking pictures of them with his phone.

“You guys look so adorable, right Shin-chan?” Midorima let out a small smile, quite amused by his former captain in this position.

“Up..!” Kotarou was now pointing towards Akashi as his feet were trying to climb against the man's chest. “Up...!!” The voice becoming more urgent when he realized he couldn't reach his destination.

“Up? You want to go higher?” Amami raised her eyebrow at her nephew before pushing Kotarou a little higher against an already protesting Akashi who was now far out of his comfort zone.

It's then that a loud squeal of joy burst out of the toddler as he took a handful of red strands in his fist, clenching it.

Amami started to laugh at the scene right in front of her. The Akashi, captain of both the Generation of Miracles and Rakuzan, son and heir to the Akashi corporation and highly respectable businessman, being tormented by a toddler who seemed to have a fascination for his hair. “I think he's fond of your hair, Akashi-kun.” Her glee and laughter bringing her body closer towards the two in her grasp, trying to support herself as the others were laughing at the poor man's expense as well.

Akashi's brain entirely shut down as the nervosity was too much for him. He could only stare and blush, holding the toddler firmly in his grip while feeling the woman's body pressed up against him in order to prevent her nephew from falling, the way the boy was overreaching just to grab his hair made his aunt a little wary.

“A-Alright.. that's enough.. lower him a bit before he falls, Amami-kun.” More of a plea instead of a demand, his eyes sending a panicked glance towards the woman.

Amami noticed she had indeed pushed her luck and did as was told, lowering her nephew while carefully disentangling the man's hair from her nephew's fingers. The toddler once more just standing wobbly on his feet, his hands placed against Akashi's chest for balance.

Disappointment clearly made its way on the little one's face, but he quickly stopped fussing about it. He was now just staring owlishly at the man's face in front of him. His eyes blinked a few times before a small grimace took over. Before anyone could respond, Kotarou vomited on Akashi.

Akashi instantly froze up, his eyes wide flickering between the child on his lap and the small smudge of toddler-puke that was slowly dripping down his jacket. 

Thankfully the people around him immediately acted upon the little incident and before he knew it Kotarou was already being pulled away by his mother and his father profusely apologizing.

It's when he felt his jacket being shrugged off carefully by Amami that he snapped back to reality, muttering a soft: 'It's alright, it's just a jacket.' towards the slightly horrified parents.

“I'll quickly go to the restroom a little bit further in the park and clean it up as much as I can Akashi-kun.” Amami gently squeezed his shoulder to gain his attention since it seemed he was still a bit shell-shocked by the mini ordeal.

“That'd.. be wonderful, thank you Amami-kun.” He nodded gratefully.

Amami didn't linger longer, she immediately dashed towards the restroom, not wanting the clearly very expensive jacket to have a permanent stain.

She was carefully rubbing the fabric with a clean, moist handkerchief of her own when she suddenly heard Takao call out from outside the restroom.

“Seo-chan, your brother gave me some special towelettes to help clean up the stain..” He casually yelled through the door, making sure he covered his eyes with his hand. Not wanting to scare the possible female crowd inside.

Amami managed to clean it up as much as she could with the special tissues Takao had handed her, she was pretty sure there would be no permanent damage. The jacket simply needed a regular cleaning now. She sighed in relief since she had felt guilty for being the cause of this all. Well, she still felt a little bit guilty for pushing her nephew in Akashi's lap, but she tried to make up for it by cleaning up the puke. When Amami, satisfied with her work, exited the restroom she immediately bumped into Takao who had been waiting on her.

“Did it work?” Takao asked her earnestly when she looked up to him.

“Mhm.. one puke-free jacket, coming up!” She grinned back at him.

“I still can't believe yer nephew threw up on _the_ Akashi, ya know. But his face.. pfffthahah.. priceless! I regret not making pictures of that.. bwahahaa.” He slung his arm over Amami's shoulder, needing the support as he kept on guffawing.

“You're such a mean friend, you know?” Amami tried her best to scold her friend before she burst into laughter herself.

They both continued laughing for a few moments, having to stand still to recover.

“You know.. you guys looked good together though.. well before your nephew decided to ruin it of course..” Takao tried to keep the rising chuckle at bay as he pulled out his phone, showing the pictures he made of the three of them together.

“Kazu...” Amami sighed deeply before looking at the pictures on the small screen. A fond smile emerged on her lips as she saw the expressions of Akashi while holding Kotarou.

“I know what ya gonna say Seo.. but.. don't ya think it's high time to.. you know..” Takao gestured with his hands in the air, not wanting to say it out loud.

When Amami filled in the rest of that sentence herself, she cast her friend a sorrowful glance. She understood what he meant, heck, even some part of her agreed with him.. “I get what you mean Kazu.. I really do.. but.. I really don't see anything happening between Akashi-kun and I. He's a good friend of mine and is truly dear to me.. but.. that's all there is to it, I'm afraid.”

“Is it because of _him_? Are ya still thinkin' of him after all this time? Even after what he did to ya?” Takao frowned when Amami didn't meet his gaze with hers now.

“We were both wrong back then Kazu.. I shouldn't have given up on him so easily. I should've.. worked something out. He kept reaching out to me and I kept pushing him away, too hurt to have a clear mind at the time.” Her voice slowly became weaker as she kept on speaking. “So yes.. I'm still not over him, _even_ after all this time. But now that you guys made me realize how wrong I've been this entire time.. well.. I'd like to think I could start going forward now. Accepting the situation and eventually moving on, but it'll take some time..” She demurely looked over the small lake they stood next to, her eyes slightly watery while she fiddled with her necklace.

“Well that's.. something I guess. Once that's done, you could start fallin' in love with another man, uh?” Takao's gaze filled with pain as it landed on the necklace she was clutching in her hand.

“.. It won't be Akashi-kun though. As much as you hope for that to happen, for some unknown reason. It's not going to happen, Akashi-kun and I are too alike in a way.. I doubt that's going to work out in the long run. What's more important, he's a close friend, I couldn't bear to lose him as well.” She weakly shrugged as she finally looked up to her friend.

Takao hugged his friend tightly against him, not liking the forlorn look she was sporting. He was already thankful that she recently had this breakdown, which led the woman to start mending the cracks of what had been broken so many years ago. 

“He won't leave ya, neither will we Seo-chan.. we'll be there for ya no matter what. I'll drop the Akashi-topic as well.. take yer time for this.” He squeezed her body a little more than was necessary, wanting to show the sincerity behind his words. She was one of the most important person in his life, he only wanted to see her happy, so he'd do as she asked him to and stop with the teasing.

They stood there for a while, embracing each other closely, both needing this affection.

A little further away, Akashi stood behind a tree. His eyes fixated on the ground in front of him. He had heard it all, he didn't mean to eavesdrop. He honestly didn't, but when he wanted to check up on his friends, he heard them laughing at his expense and when the topic turned around to both him and her, he couldn't help it, something inside of him told him he had to hear what was going to be said. Perhaps it was because deep down inside he knew what she would say, maybe it was his mind forcing him to hear what he needed to hear in order to move on himself.

One small tear rolled down his cheek past a small bittersweet smile. “I can't seem to win against you.. Kagami..” His whisper so weak he could barely hear himself. “Guess we'll both have to move on, Amami Seo...” He breathed in unevenly, trying to regain his composure now that his heart was broken. 

He should've seen this coming. Hell, he even knew that this was bound to happen. Why didn't he avoid this from the beginning if he knew? He suddenly remembered the conversation he had with Midorima earlier this year. That's right.. he couldn't. He had tried not to grow these feelings for the woman, but he failed miserably. It's then that Midorima's words rung through his mind when he talked about his own relationship. “Opposites attract..” He numbly repeated his friends' words. He instantly thought of Amami's words a moment ago. _'Akashi-kun and I are too alike.'_ He scoffed without much strength at the thought, his hand quickly drying up the trail of the lone tear.

When he deemed himself calm enough, he made his way towards the two friends who were still enjoying their small moment.

“Ah, Akashi, yer jacket has been successfully cleaned!” Takao exclaimed, having noticed the redhead approach the two.

“I'm glad to hear that, you have my thanks Amami-kun.” He gratefully bowed his thanks before looking at the woman with a warm smile. His impeccable mask covering up the hurt and sadness behind it.

“No, it was my fault to begin with, Akashi-kun. I shouldn't have been so pushy with Ko-chan. I'm truly sorry, if I can do anything to make it up to you, just name it.” She bowed in return before handing the folded jacket over to its owner.

“That won't be necessary, Amami-kun.” If his heart was being shredded in a blender at the moment, he wouldn't show it in his expression.


	22. Chapter 22

Two years had passed since their Hanami party. Even though it was two years, not much had changed for most of them. Midorima did finally graduate from med-school and was now working as an MD in the very same hospital he did his internship. Takao was still working as software engineer for the same company that hired him years ago and Akashi was now in one of the highest positions of his father's company. Not that him being the heir was the main reason it happened so fast, Akashi was utterly brilliant and always delivered impeccable work. Meanwhile Amami had gained somewhat respect from her peers, her name slowly but surely reaching other companies due to the hard work she had been doing for the past years. She still worked under Kashima and gotten a little bit more praise from the higher ups when she managed to bring in very important big shots as partners. Needless to say, our friends were rather successful. 

But what about the rest? The fact that Kise managed to have his face plastered on plenty a billboard and have the occasional invitation to tv shows told Amami that he was doing quite well himself too. He was becoming quite famous and with fame, sadly, comes gossip as well. It wasn't the first time that his face was on the front page of a tabloid, known for its groundless gossip. But asides those, he seemed to be enjoying life even though he, apparently, had stopped playing basketball seriously. It's thanks to Midorima that Amami occasionally received news from their old friends, since he managed to stay in contact with them. It's also because of Midorima that she knew Kuroko and Momoi had married a few years ago and had a baby girl meanwhile. Kuroko became a kindergarten teacher and Momoi, together with a fellow therapist, ran their own little business as sports therapists. Murasakibara seemed to have moved back to Tokyo to open a bakery by himself, no he didn't eat his own creations all the time and yes he was rather successful too. He managed to buy a store where a lot of students frequently hung out and they had seemed to grown a liking to the giant's delicacies.

That of course leaves us with two others. What happened to the men who flew overseas to make their dream come true in the NBA? Aomine got married earlier this year and recently had announced that he and his wife were expecting a baby. Basketball wise: at first, even though they were both recruited by the NBA and that on itself was quite the feat, it wasn't like America was thrilled at first. After all, basketball was still a sport that was mainly made popular by the American players. So when two Asian men suddenly stepped on the court to play for top tier teams, the crowd hadn't been so enthusiastic. Naturally it didn't take long for the two to demonstrate their raw talent and in no time they suddenly became popular and respected. It was when their shared history came to light that the audience completely hopped on the hype train. Being entirely caught up with the two rivals in the also two rivaling teams did things to the crowd. Resulting in games between those two to be one of the bigger events in the basketball world.

**************

"Oh, look at him go! He managed to break free from two blockers and made the shot! Aomine, ladies and gentlemen, is bringing his game! I wonder how Kagami will respond, he looks like he's a hair's breadth away from unleashing his own. This is going to be a very good game!" A male voice rang through Amami's tv. Thankfully they added subtitles in Japanese so she could understand what was being said.

Amami sat on her couch with a 3,5 year old Kotarou right next to her. Both watching the Lakers and Clippers play against each other in the finale of the tournament. A set of green and brown eyes eagerly following the match, cheering whenever they made impressive looking moves.

It was especially Kotarou who seemed to be riveted, sitting on the edge of the couch, jaw slightly slack in pure awe. Amami was a bit more resistant, since she had seen those two play when they were teens, but the two players still managed to impress her. They grew tremendously since they moved to America, it was to be expected that playing in such top teams would only bring out the best in them that they wouldn't be able to back in Japan. The NBA was the place they truly belonged to.

"Waaah, he's so fast!" Kotarou called out, completely impressed by 'The Panther'. Amami had burst out in laughter when she learned that the Americans had dubbed Aomine 'The Panther' and Kagami 'The Tiger'. She just knew how much that must've annoyed Kagami, since they'd always tease him for his unusual given name.

Amami chuckled as she watched her nephew so excited about it all. "Mmmhm, he sure is, but wait until you see the other guy." She smiled as she combed her fingers softly through her nephew's ginger locks.

Kotarou blinked a few times at his aunt before returning his gaze towards the tv. It was then that Kagami jumped for a lane-up, air walking over towards the basket to slam the ball in with massive power.

The crowd was going wild when they saw their beloved ace do one of his signature moves. Even the reporters were yelling out in pure excitement and awe. In Amami's living room it was quiet. While she was just fondly taking in her ex boyfriend's image, Kotarou was completely star struck. His eyes as big as saucers when he saw the imposing red head slam the ball in, in such a magnificent way.

"Uuuwaah...." He managed to let out, taking in the image of the man when the camera had zoomed in on him.

"See? I told you." Amami smiled warmly as she looked at her nephew's expression.

Kotarou pointed towards the screen with his small finger. "Red!" Glancing back at his aunt, as if to double check if she saw the red as well.

Amami let out a laugh and nodded back. "Very red.." She ruffled his ginger locks before she became startled by her doorbell ringing. "Stay on the couch, Ko-chan, I have to open the door, okay?"

"Mmmookaaay.." He drawled out absentmindedly, his eyes glued on the screen. 

Amami just rolled her eyes with a fond smile before she ran up towards the intercom to buzz up her guests.

A few minutes later both Takao and Midorima were in her living room.

"Woah! Ko-chan, you never told me you loved basketball!" Takao instantly threw himself on the couch next to Kotarou. This caused the little one to jump in delight.

"Uncle Kazu! Look, red!" Takao followed the direction of the stubby finger and saw Kagami on the screen once more.

"Seooo-chaaan~.. Since when do you watch basketball games? More in particular: games with Red-san?" Takao looked over the couch towards a shrugging Amami who was talking to Midorima.

"What.. am I not allowed to?" She tried to play it off when both she and Midorima joined them on the couch.

"Uncle Shin-chan!" Kotarou exclaimed and immediately started to climb into Midorima's lap which caused the male to softly smile and hold the kid firmly in place.

"Of course you're allowed to Amami, ignore Kazunari. Is this the game from last weekend?" This caused his lover to send him a short lived scowl before switching to his usual bright self again.

Takao slung his arm around Amami, who had taken her seat next to him. He leaned closer against her and whispered in her ear. "Is this how ya got over him?" A slightly serious and concerned expression slowly appeared on his face.

Amami shoved her friend away from her, a small hint of pink dusting her cheeks. "It's been a few years now Kazu.. I'm over him." She instantly stood up and made her way towards the kitchen to make some tea for her guests. "So.. how come you guys are so early.. I honestly thought it would've been my parents to pick up Ko-chan when I heard the doorbell.. I didn't expect you two until over an hour." She asked loud enough while rummaging in her kitchen.

"We found Shin-chan's lucky item for the day quite fast, so we had time to spare. Might as well pester you already. Didn't know my favorite nephew was here as well though." Takao instantly tickled Ko-chan's belly resulting the child to burst out in giggles and squealing.

Amami snorted when she heard the two go at it. "Ah yes, Ushio and Miki are enjoying a weekend at this fancy resort and they had asked my parents to take care of Kotarou. But something came up for them, so they asked me if I could keep him this afternoon, they'll come pick him up any moment now." She explained while placing the tea on the coffee table.

It was at that moment that Kagami pulled off a Meteor jam, resulting Kotarou to shriek out and bounce excitedly on Midorima's lap.

"Kotarou-chan, be careful, you're going to fall off nanodayo." Midorima placed a firmer grip around the child's midriff.

"Jump, jump, jump!" Kotarou let out, still bouncing, but less frantically as Midorima's grip wouldn't let him.

"My my.. it seems it runs in the family, uh?" Takao leered towards Amami.

"What does?" Amami warily asked him in return.

"Well.. it's not the first time an Amami is engrossed with our red haired friend." He flicked his gaze towards Kotarou in Midorima's lap and chuckled. The admiring gaze the kid was showing reminding Takao of Amami back in high school.

"Pretty red!" Kotarou choked out, trying to break free from Midorima's grip.

"Hey, Ko-chan, do you know what his name is?" Takao looked at Kotarou with a mischievous grin which resulted the small ginger to stop and look intrigued.

"No..." His eager eyes now fixated on Takao.

"Well.. it's an animal that jumps a lot!" He lets out a grin, well aware what he's doing.

"Kazu, that's not his name.. he hates it and you know it." Amami cast him a warning glance which was entirely ignored by her friend.

"An animal..?" Kotarou innocently asked.

"Mmmhm, what animal jumps a lot Ko-chan?" His smirk grew into a devilish grin.

"A bunny!" Kotarou answered gleefully.

This caused both Amami and Midorima to spurt out their tea back in their cup when they heard his answer.

"Exactly! Bunny-chan! Do you like Bunny-chan?" Not missing a beat, Takao simply kept going with the act, entirely smug of how surprising this conversation was going.

"Mmmhm.." Kotarou nodded a little shyly. "Bunny-chan jumps really high, I wanna jump high too!" He smiled a little at the small confession before returning his focus back on tv.

Midorima simply sighed while Amami rubbed her forehead, shaking her head in dismay at her friend's antics. It was then that the doorbell rang once more. This time she paused the game before she went to open the door.

This time it was indeed her parents who came to pick up their grandchild. When they noticed Amami's guests they stayed a while to catch up with both men while Amami was getting Kotarou ready to stay the weekend at her parents. After a while they had left with the child, leaving the apartment silent for a moment.

It was when Amami sat back on her couch that Takao finally spoke up once more. "I don't believe ya."

Amami didn't even have to ask what he meant with that, she just sighed. "Believe what you want, Kazu." Unpausing the game, showing her friend that she didn't want to talk about it.

The Shutoku friends were now watching the game instead, cheering for their friends. None have had the time to watch the game yet even when it happened last weekend, so they were eager to see it.

Whatever they thought was going to happen was cast aside when they were halfway the last quarter. It had been a really close game so far which led the two aces to push their limits. With both in the zone it became really tense, making them curious to the last tipping point that would seal the victory. What happened next, would shock the three. 

Kagami had the ball and managed to break free from several blockers. Dashing towards the ring, noticing that Aomine was right there, waiting for him to defend. Kagami jumped up, making people believe that he was going for a lane-up. But people who knew Kagami better, knew that he was going to do a Meteor Jam, not wanting to risk being blocked by Aomine. It's when Kagami forcefully slammed the ball in mid air towards the ring, that he flinched. The ball missed, leaving the audience in awe on such a crucial moment. It's when Kagami reached the ground once more, that he let out a loud groan and clutched his shoulder.

It was as clear as daylight that the man was enduring a lot of pain, seeing the contorted expression he was sporting. The whistle blew for a referee time out, resulting several people from the side line to run up towards the man. Even Aomine was hovering around Kagami, his expression filled with worry. After a few minutes that resembled ages, they had decided to escort Kagami off the court. Before he exited, he went to Aomine and placed his other hand on his shoulder. Kagami was saying something towards his rival with a bittersweet smile which made Aomine's expression drop.

Aomine stood still, just gazing back at Kagami, sadness in both men's eyes. Kagami gave him a curt nod before leaving the court. He was being escorted by an array of people, probably doctors and his coach.

Back in Amami's living room, once more silence had descended upon them. They just stared in shock, knowing the redhead enough that it would take a lot more pain for Kagami to leave a game, _especially_ if it was against his rival. But the way he clutched his shoulder, the way he looked at Aomine and the way he calmly walked off the court made it seem as if he instantly accepted it. Which was unlike Kagami.

Amami immediately jumped up and ran towards her computer. Furiously typing away to find any news on the man. She managed to find a video of a press conference of Kagami that was held on Tuesday. It didn't have any subtitles so she had to rely on her limited knowledge and Takao, who was better at the language than she was.

The video showed a calm looking Kagami in front of a row of microphones. His shoulder wrapped up tightly in bandages and his arm in a sling to keep it from moving. The room was showered with light flashes from camera's while the man was being interviewed. He managed to calmly answer them all, but his expression only showed a small smile. Amami just knew that something was seriously wrong when she saw that smile, he was hiding his hurt.

She looked up at Takao when the man had taken it upon himself to translate the English spoken interview towards Japanese as good as he could. Apparently Kagami had known there was something going on with his shoulder and that he was nearing his limit. Even with that knowledge he continued to play as much as he could, saying that this is how he wanted it. He explained the interviewers that he'd be having surgery the next day that would mostly fix his injury, but sadly he wouldn't be able to continue his professional career. He'd still be able to play, but he explained that the doctors discouraged him from pursuing his career in the NBA. If he did, his shoulder would get damaged further, which would lead to more drastic results. It was then that Kagami showed a small smile saying that it was a dream come true to play in the NBA and that he had wished to continue his dream a little bit longer, but that the decision was easily made when he was prompted to choose between one more year of continuing in the NBA until his shoulder couldn't play anymore entirely, or stop and only play the sport on a more casual pace for much, much longer. With that his eyes slightly glazed over and finally made him end the interview by saying that he would retire.

The news slowly but surely sunk in, making the three worry about their old friend. Even Takao showed some semblance of sympathy when they realized Kagami was too injured to continue his dream.

“He must've known for quite a while then and decided to enjoy the ride for as long as he could. Though it's a shame, he seems to have accepted it, nanodayo.” Midorima softly uttered, his gaze shifting from the finished video on the computer screen towards Amami who hadn't said anything yet.

“So, that's it? He's giving up on his dream? He doesn't even want to see how the surgery pans out?! There are professional athletes with a prosthetic still kicking butts, he has no _right_ to give up! Especially not when he..” Amami fumed, but stopped herself, the pain in her chest withholding her from ending that sentence. After a small moment she huffed an 'That idiot.' in annoyance. “I'm going to get ready for dinner..” She finally muttered, leaving the two men to continue watching the game while she took a shower and got ready for their planned evening.

**************

Amami, Takao, Midorima and Akashi sat at a table in their favorite restaurant later that night. Catching up with each other and enjoying the delicious food they ordered. The sour mood of earlier completely gone as the four were laughing and generally just having fun like friends would.

“.. so I told them that if they had wanted that feature in their program they shoulda said so _before_ we finished the software we made. And then they give us looks like _we_ are the idiots when we say that the release will have to be postponed, to give us time to add it in. Some people are idiots.” Takao breathed out in a frustrated sigh.

“Don't you guys arrange meetings during the progress where you show the client what you have already? If so, they should've spoken up then before it was too late.” Amami raised an eyebrow as she shoved some more food in her mouth.

“Idiots, that's what they are.. but as long as they keep paying me, I'm not gonna complain. Anyway, enough about my work..” Takao shrugged it off in a lighthearted way.

“Mmm, that reminds me, how did your date go, Akashi? You seem to be in good spirits.” Midorima asked his friend, remembering the redhead mentioning a woman his father had wanted to meet.

“It went surprisingly well, after a long evening of getting to know each other it became clear we had a lot in common. I must admit that I didn't expect anything of the likes when my father told me to meet her.” Akashi answered the man, not even bothering to hide the soft smile.

“Oooh, we're going to need some details now Akashi-kun. We need to know everything about the woman who stole _the_ Akashi Seijuro's heart.” Amami brightened up entirely at the news, shuffling closer towards her friend next to her, sure to prod all the juicy details out of him.

Akashi chuckled at her eagerness and perhaps the irony of her request. 

Ever since overhearing her and Takao at the Hanami party, he had decided to get over the love he held for the woman now next to him. It seemed that having heard her say those words helped him a lot in order to do so. His father, as if he had known Akashi was now ready to find himself someone, had recently told his son that one of his business partners had a daughter who might be of any interest. Akashi had initially scoffed at the idea, not in front of his father of course, saying that he wasn't interested. His father had insisted however and eventually Akashi had given in, curious to whoever his father deemed worthy of his son's time.

“She's a very kind and calm woman, clever in her own way. She's a musician who plays in an orchestra, she's truly talented.” Akashi didn't realize that he was now showing his friends a very warm and fond smile as he spoke of the woman.

“We're very happy for you, Akashi-kun, she sounds like a very wonderful woman. I'd love to meet her!” Amami earnestly chimed in, a bright smile on her lips.

“Seo-chan.. do ya realize what this means?” Takao leered at the woman across the table.

“Dare I ask..?” Amami's bright smile faltered, already expecting incoming teasing and jibes.

“It means --” Takao started before the ringing of a phone went off. Recognizing the familiar tune he looked towards Amami. “Oi.. Seo, didn't we decide to shut off all of our phones? You're violating our rules here..!” He tapped his finger on the table, slightly annoyed that the woman secretly kept her phone on.

“I'm sorry Kazu, but if there's an emergency at work..” Amami started while fishing the device from her purse. She noticed an unknown number on her screen which made her frown slightly. “Sorry, I'm going to answer this..” She excused herself from the table and walked outside. She now stood right outside, in front of the window of the restaurant when she finally answered the call. “Hello?”

Back inside Takao was not amused by this. They had promised each other not to let anything disturb their evening. They were all busy people and seldom found free time in their schedule so they could meet up altogether.

“I can't believe that woman.. Even though she said she wouldn't put her work before her loved ones years ago, she's still doing it!” Takao groused in annoyance at his best friend. He had missed her and now she's most likely going to run off again to her work to fix some shit other people couldn't do.

“She's doing her best, Kazunari and you know that. She must've expected something to happen, it can't be helped nanodayo.” Midorima huffed, wanting to calm his boyfriend down, but his frown showed that he was slightly disappointed as well.

“I know, I know, but let's be honest. It's not like they'll die when she decides not to jump at their beck and call for one evening..” He childishly muttered. His gaze now wandering towards the window where Amami stood. Wait.. why is she crouching..

It all happened in a blur, Takao took a closer look at his friend who was now clutching her knees on the sidewalk outside. Her expression looked as if she saw a ghost, alarming Takao.

“Something's wrong..” He quickly jumped from his seat and instantly made a dash towards the woman outside.

This caused the other two man to look up in confusion before directing their gaze towards a slumped over Amami. Their eyes widened when they saw their friend in severe distress.

“Seo! Seo, what's goin' on?!” Takao ran up towards Amami, clutching her shoulders to calm the woman down.

Amami's body was shaking, still clutching her phone to her ear, eyes wide open in shock. “H-How..?” Her voice cracked due to its weakness while her eyes seemed to dart from one point to another, not even focusing on her surroundings.

Takao could just stare while holding her, he tried to pick her up from the ground but the woman didn't even show any sign that she noticed his presence. Too caught up in whatever is being said through the device. A moment passed before her body slumped forward, the strength in it, entirely leaving. 

This made Takao clutch the woman tighter towards himself, preventing the woman from hitting the ground. “Seo?! What's happenin'?” Takao called out louder this time, not caring about the attention the two were now gathering from passersby. It's when she remained quiet, completely frozen by the pain that he tore the device from her hands and hoped the person who was on the other side was still there. “Hello, who is this?” Takao asked the person who was clearly still there.

“Good evening, are you a friend of Amami-san?” A polite voice came through.

“Yes, what's goin' on?!” Takao exclaimed perhaps a little too rough while he attempted to calm down his friend in front of him.

“I'm sorry to inform you that Amami-san's brother and sister in law have been in a car accident earlier this evening. Amami Miki is undergoing surgery in the emergency room, but things aren't looking too well as I've been informed. Her brother however.. didn't make it.. I'm sorry for your loss.” The voice spoke out calmly. 

Takao just sat there. He placed his hand over his mouth, not believing what he had been told just now. He glanced once more towards the woman whose body was crumpling in his embrace. He didn't even register the tears rolling down his own cheeks.

“Sir? I'm going to need you to bring Amami-san towards the hospital. Her parents have been notified as well and are on their way over too. I'll give you all the details you need to know to get here.

“Okay..” He croaked out, listening intently to what the nurse told him. “We'll be on our way.. thanks...” He closed the call and now looked up towards their other two friends who had ran outside. 

Takao tried to quickly explain the bad news just given to them. Faltering occasionally due to his own grief and worry for his friend who was now being dragged back inside, by Midorima and himself.


	23. Chapter 23

Akashi had taken it upon himself to arrange everything back inside the restaurant. Quickly paying for their dinner and apologizing towards the owner for the commotion they were causing. He had taken everyone's belongings and made way towards Amami's car.

The drive was very quiet since no one knew what exactly to say at this point. Akashi simply drove Amami's car, keeping his focus on the road ahead of him with Midorima next to him. Takao sat in the back next to Amami who had been shaking like a leaf ever since she received the news.

Amami was completely out of it. Everything happened in a blur when her mind had a hard time coping with the pain it tried to shut out. When they finally arrived at the hospital and were immediately referred to the room where Miki was lying, Amami's mind slowly started to clear up. The realization of all of it crashing in full force.

They had placed Miki in a private room at the intensive care, saying that they tried everything they could but, the internal bleeding too much and on more than one crucial place, made it a hopeless case. They hooked her on various machinery that would keep the woman alive, albeit temporary, so she could have a proper goodbye. 

The bed was surrounded by her own and Amami's parents when Amami arrived. Midorima, Akashi and Takao decided to stay in the hallway, granting the family their privacy. 

It's when Amami quietly entered the room that she could see how battered the woman looked. Her body was covered in bruises, bandages and wires. Her hair was messy and had tufts of dried blood still in it. She looked so fragile and beaten, barely conscious and clearly in a lot of pain even though Amami was sure some of those tubes were pushing painkillers into Miki's body.

"Miki.." Amami weakly started when she approached the bed. She reached out her hand, but quickly withdrew it since she didn't want to cause even more pain towards the woman who was suffering a lot already. She noticed Kotarou was sitting on the bed next to his mother, tightly held by his grandmother so he wouldn't be able to hurt her.

"Seo-kun.. I'm glad you made it.." Miki whispered hoarsely, every word spoken with immense effort.

"O-Of course.. we came here as fast as we could.." Amami revealed a small fake smile that was doing its utmost best to hide the sheer horror and panic that was going on inside.

"Your brother.. he didn't suffer.." Miki continued, her voice becoming more strained with both physical and mental pain at the thought of her husband who had passed away a little earlier that day. Miki somehow wanted to tell his family that Ushio indeed didn't have to endure a lot of pain. While the words were meant to somehow ease the family's mind, it only caused the opposite. Amami's parents both choked out at the information. Her mother breaking down in loud sobs and wailing as Amami's father hugged his wife.

Amami was simply staring at the woman lying in front of her. The room started to spin as the realization of the tragic accident slowly started to seep into her brain. Her brother was dead. He passed away in a car accident. Meanwhile his wife, who looked like she was going through hell from the pain herself, was trying to console them. Miki clearly had accepted her own fate, now on her own deathbed surrounded by her loved ones. Amami couldn't form a single word and weakly nodded, showing she acknowledged her sister in law's words.

"Seo.. Kotarou.. He needs a new family.. Would you please take care.. of our son?" Miki managed to utter, small sobs and tears falling from her face as she glanced between her son and Amami. "Please.." Miki's hand took a weak grip on Amami's wrist, stressing out how important it was to her.

Amami's eyes widened in shock at the request. Doubt streaking across her face since she had no experience whatsoever as a parent, so why her? Frankly her own parents would be a better choice, no? "Miki.. I'm not—" She wanted to convince the woman that her idea was perhaps not the best.

"Our parents--.. Seo.. you're young and strong.. Kotarou needs that.." Miki tried to explain without hurting the grandparents who were listening as well.

She had a point.. Amami's parents, though still vibrant, were showing their age surely. Miki's parents were even older and showed their own health issues. Miki didn't want to burden them with raising her son by themselves. Heck she didn't want to burden anyone, but she had no choice. In the brief time she was conscious ever since the accident she started to decide for herself who'd be the best person to take care of her son. Her thoughts had landed on Amami quite easily. 

"I need you.. to take care.. of him.." She almost pleaded, more tears threatening to fall. "You won't be alone, they'll help.. " 

Amami glanced towards the grandparents who were now nodding in agreement, hesitantly. They didn't want to admit that they wouldn't be able to take care of Kotarou in the long run like Amami would be able to.

She still wasn't sure if this was the best plan, but the look Miki was giving her made her nod and promise the woman that she would indeed take care of her son.

Miki's face brightened in relief when Amami promised as if all of her worries melted away. "Thank you.. and I'm sorry.." She sadly smiled at her before she started to cough up blood that was instantly being cleaned up by her own mother. 

Kotarou's big brown eyes looked up to his mother, confusion and sadness clear on the young child's face. Not fully realizing what was going on, asides the fact that daddy wasn't here at the moment and mommy was hurt. He slowly started to crawl over to his mother's face to wipe away the tears, like he saw his grandmother do.

"Ko-chan don't--" Amami wanted to stop the child from doing just so but instantly got halted by Miki.

"It's.. fine.." Miki nodded while her gaze stayed focused on her son. "This is.. fine.." She weakly smiled as her son was doing his best to hug his mother, ignoring the sharp jabs of pain wracking her body from the weight upon her.

Amami slowly backed away when she saw Miki's parents holding both their daughter and grandson in a careful embrace.

"Kotarou-chan.. mommy and daddy love you.. Be nice to aunt Seo.. do as she say. Be strong.. oh god.." Miki's vision started to black out as her grip on her son weakened. "L-Love.. yo--.."

It's then that her body fell limp in the bed and the machinery started to beep, indicating the flatline. A lot happened at the same time: Miki's parents sobbing as her daughter passed away in their arms. Amami grabbing Kotarou to make way for the incoming nurses that were now doing their job and Amami's own parents who were still seated in their own chairs, overwhelmed by their own grief.

The nurses had offered the family their condolensces after they unhooked the machinery. They gave the family their last moment to say goodbye before they'd carry out their job and take care of Miki.

Amami's parents were the first to leave the room giving the others their privacy. Amami held Kotarou in her arms as she approached the bed for the last time. "Ko-chan.. give mommy a goodbye.. kiss.." She choked out as she brought him close enough to kiss his mother's cheek. "I'll do my best.." She uttered at the motionless form in front of her before turning around and hugging Kotarou ever so tightly, leaving Miki's parents alone in the room.

It's when she exited the room that Kotarou started to kick around and cry, reaching out his small arm over her shoulder towards the door they were leaving. "Mommy..! I want my mommy!!"

"Shhh.. I know sweetie.. I know, but mommy is gone now.." She tried to soothe the little one who didn't understand what was going on. He was a 3,5 year old toddler who lost both his parents in one day. Even when the brain of a toddler can't fully comprehend matters of life and death just yet, they do feel that something is wrong.

Amami couldn't do anything other than hug the boy tightly and let him know that she's there for him. 

That weekend she had stayed at her parents together with Kotarou. The family giving each other emotional support by simply being together. Amami's friends had offered them to stick around if she wanted to, but she weakly nodded her thanks saying she needed some time with her family instead. 

The weekend went by in a daze, it was surprising the family managed to arrange the funeral and a great deal of paperwork in that short of time, or perhaps.. it wasn't. It seems the Amami's had a tendency to throw themselves into chores to keep their mind occupied from the harrowing sadness inside of them.

Meanwhile Amami and her friends took it upon themselves to slowly move furniture from her brother's house towards her appartment. Well it was only the bedroom furniture of Kotarou, since she had her own already. So it ended up with them grabbing everything they thought Amami would need to provide for Kotarou. It surprised the woman to see so many little things a child would need, objects ranging from the infamous sippycup to a chair for in the bathtub. The woman immediately realized that her appartment was going to be taken over by the little one, just like her life. Her little office she had made her sanctuary where she worked at home, now turned into Kotarou's bedroom. Forcing her to cram her neccesities either in her own bedroom, small living room or.. on the garbage dump.

The day went by rather fast, considering the amount of things to do seemed endless, but they finally managed to finish installing Kotarou's bedroom. Who knew Midorima to be so clumsy with Ikea manuals? He and Takao spent most of the time squabbling with the piece of paper while Akashi actually managed to get things done, with or without it. This left Amami taking care mostly of Kotarou and providing the little help she could towards her friends who've gone out of their way to help her.

Kotarou seemed to have good and bad moods, one moment he'd be crying over his parents, saying he missed them and they'd better hurry back. The other moment he'd be giggling and trying to get the attention from their guests. Needless to say it's putting Amami on an emotional rollercoaster, straining her.

Ever since Miki pleaded her sister in law to take care of her child for her, ever since she pulled Kotarou away from his mother, she had been all about Kotarou. The boy lost both his parents and Amami immediately felt responsible for the welfare of her nephew. It was of no surprise that, the first night Kotarou stayed at his new home, Amami had been bent over the toilet throwing up, what she suspected to be all of her innards. 

It was the first moment ever since the accident that she was all by herself. She was back at her own home, put Kotarou in his bed and, after staring at his sleeping form from the doorway for surely half an hour to make sure he's truely asleep, she decided to make herself some tea to relax from the past few days. The amount of stress and torment she had locked deep down inside finally emerging and showing its true face in the way of spewing anything her stomach contained into the toilet. 

After several rounds of throwing up just plain water, since her stomach was drained from its food ages ago, she felt weak. Her body slumped on the lid of the toilet once she deemed her stomach had settled down. It was then that the true pain finally hit her. Her brother had passed away. He and his wife got hit by a truck who ignored the red light. The driver, who apparently had been driving longer hours than what was legal, hadn't paid enough attention at that small moment, ignoring the red light and colliding with an unsuspecting car in the middle of the crossroad. It was Ushio's side that took the brunt of the collision, resulting into instant death, but alas that wasn't all. The truck was rather large so it was no surprise there wasn't a lot left of the car. Miki had survived the initial impact but the internal bleeding was too much and eventually she succumbed to her wounds in the hospital.

It was then, for the first time since the accident, that Amami started to cry. No, not cry, she practically screamed as she was wailing and sobbing into the lid. Her hand muffling as much sound as it could for fear of waking her nephew up. Only thoughts of her brother, Miki and Kotarou flashing by in her head. She would never see Miki's smile again, never get teased by her brother anymore. Now she had to take care of Kotarou who suddenly had to make do with only his aunt.

The entire 'taking care of a child' business bringing up even more stress than she was already dealing with at the moment. Yes, she was reasonably decent at handling children. Sure she got along really well with her nephew, but.. taking care of a young child? She was career-orientated, she didn't expect any children in the picture in the upcoming 5 years to begin with. Now she was confronted with raising a 3 year old all by herself. It didn't look daunting.. it looked undoable. But, she made a promise and she'll do her best to keep her words. She knew she wasn't entirely alone, having her family and friends. But in the end, they weren't going to be there all the time.

What she did know was, that they'd adapt to their new lifestyle one way or another and that they'd just have to stick it out in the beginning until they'd finally find their own rhythm.

They were going to be fine eventually, right?

**************

"And that's everything taken care of. I've got everyone's signatures and everyone's form has been thoroughly checked. Congratulations Amami-san, you are now the guardian of Amami Kotarou." The man stood up with a smile and motioned for the family that their business had been concluded.

Amami nodded with a weak smile and stood up, holding Kotarou's hand in hers. "Thank you for your hard work."

"Good luck, Amami-san." He bowed as the grandparents, who had to be there in order to give consent for Amami to be the guardian, now left the office together.

Amami bowed in return before turning towards the door. "Come on Ko-chan, let's go eat with the rest." She picked him up and carried him outside where his grandparents were waiting on them.

"Are we going to eat teppanyaki?" The boy chirped in delight, remembering his aunt promising him to have his favourite dish when they were done here.

"That's right, I know a small place not so far from here where you can get yummie food. Let's go find the rest so we can go, okay?" She softly smiled, brushing his ginger hair in place with her fingers.

"Teppanyaki?!" He asked with barely contained happiness.

"Yes, Ko-chan, I did promise you this, right?" Amami just rolled her eyes at the boy sitting on her arm.

When they grouped up they all decided to join Amami and Kotarou into the aforementioned restaurant, wanting to discuss small but important matters still.

They had all agreed to give their consent for Amami to be the guardian of their grandson. They clearly heard Miki's request on her deathbed, but also had enough faith in the young woman to be able to take care of him. They only requested that Kotarou would stay over at their place once in a month. So they wanted to plan how they would best schedule all of it. With this deal Amami would have two free weekends per month, when he would be at either her parents or Miki's parents. It was a request she gladly accepted, she knew already that she could use those weekends to rest up and do things she wouldn't otherwise be able to when her nephew is around.

The funeral was already behind them when they finally received word that the paperwork for Amami's consent to becoming guardian had come through. It had all happened rather quickly, that Amami was sure her father had pulled some strings here and there to get things moving a lot faster than usual.

It's been a week and half ever since, indicating that the end of her 'vacation' was getting in sight. Soon she had to go back to work which left the boy to go back to school. It had been a great help that this all happened during summer vacation at first, seeing that the boy could take his time to adjust to his new home. But it also meant that soon he'd be alone, since Amami had to return to work. Thankfully her boss had been lenient towards her and proposed her to work from home out, so she could spend the last week of summer vacation at home with her nephew.

This meant that she really had to start looking for a new school for Kotarou, since the distance between their home and his old school was too far. This made her look around and do research on nearby schools and checking which ones were to her liking. It didn't take long for one school to stand out, it was reasonably close, on the way towards her work and she heard good things about it as well from Midorima. With all the information at her disposal she immediately made an appointment to get her nephew registered at the new kindergarten.

**************

"We can assure you that the well-being of the children is top priority in here and we only hire the best of the best to guide the young ones towards elementary school. We find it a must to prepare the children for their upcoming education, but we also find it more important that they feel good in here. Our teachers are of top quality who do their best to ensure the happiness and safety of our children. I'm sure Kotarou-chan will fit in right away and make plenty of friends while enjoying kindergarten." The woman in her office beamed proudly when she finished her clearly studied monologue.

Amami felt assured however, knowing her nephew would be placed in great care. "I'm glad to hear that, principal. I trust there won't be any problems from either sides, right Ko-chan?" She smiled down at the boy sitting on her lap, happy that he didn't kick up a fuss when he was told he had to change schools.

"I'll get new friends?" Kotarou shyly asked the principal, a chubby hand pushed in his mouth. His knuckles moist with his drool from suckling it during the conversation of the two adults.

"That's right, Kotarou-chan! Once summer vacation is done you'll be able to meet your new friends and teacher." The principal gave Kotarou a bright warm smile before she turned her gaze once more towards Amami. "Sadly, I can not introduce you towards the teacher yet, since it's still summer vacation. We normally give parents the chance to meet up with them at least once to put the parents at ease. But since this case has been special, being the middle of the school year now, I sadly can not make such arragements. I'm sorry." She cast Amami an apologetic smile.

"Oh no, I'm already glad that you took your own precious time during vacation in order to get Kotarou registered. I'm sure I'll get to see the teacher on Kotarou's first day. Thank you so much." Amami was sincerely grateful that she managed to get an appointment with the principal on such short notice, she couldn't ask for more.

"Oh, don't sweat it Amami-san, I simply love my work. It was no hassle at all." The principal waved her kindness politely off with a smile. "I'll make sure the teacher gets this form you just filled in so he can already get to know a little bit of Kotarou before school starts once more." She placed the papers on the side, sticking a little post-it with a note on top of it.

"Ah, that would be great. Thank you again." Amami smiled, having been put at ease now that this paperwork is also dealt with. Not noticing the name on the post-it.

It didn't take much longer for the two women and boy to say their goodbyes for now and to enjoy the rest of their vacation.

**************

Kuroko Tetsuya has come online.

Kuroko: Good evening, Kagami-kun. Have you packed your bags already?

Kagami: Hey Kuroko! Of course I have, I'm not a kid anymore, you know!

Kuroko: I know, Kagami-kun. I'm just making sure you won't forget anything important. How is your shoulder?

Kagami: Whatever, I still gotta pack some things, but I've got the most important things already. The shoulder is alright, they have given me plenty of painkillers after the surgery. I'm sure I'll pop a few on the flight as well.

Kuroko: I'm relieved to hear that. Are you sure you rather not stay with us? Satsuki and I don't mind and I'm sure Hiyori would love to see her favorite uncle again.

Kagami: ... She was crying the entire time the moment she saw me! And yes, I found a decent place to rent while I look for something more permanent to stay in Tokyo. I don't wanna intrude on you three. Thanks though.

Kuroko: If that's what Kagami-kun wants.. But since you're still recovering from your surgery and busy with rehabillitation, wouldn't it be wise to stay somewhere where they can help you at least?

Kagami: I'll be fine Kuroko. I've been taking care of myself since I was sixteen, I don't need you guys fussing over me, jeez.

Kuroko: I know, Kagami-kun, we're just worried you might hurt your shoulder by doing something silly.

Kagami: Just drop it already, you little bastard. I told you I'd be fine, right? I'm starting to regret my decision for moving back to Tokyo.

Kuroko: That's not a nice thing to say, even if it's you. We're all looking forward for your return.

Kagami: What's that supposed to mean?! Ack whatever and yeah, I missed you guys as well. 

Kagami: I can't believe I just said that, since you are all a bunch of weirdo's.

Kuroko: Kagami-kun is becoming emotional. Are you going to miss America?

Kagami: Don't make fun of me. Yeah, probably. I'll miss my father and Alex. The burgers..

Kuroko: You'll miss Aomine-kun too.

Kagami: The hell I will. Bastard's got his wife and soon a son anyway. The burgers though.. And I guess playing games too.. Ah man, I can't wait for my shoulder to be back to normal again. Been itching to play ball.

Kuroko: You'll be able to soon enough, though it won't be like in America.

Kagami: Yeah... I know. I had a great time playing here in America, but I don't know.. As long as I can still play, even on just an empty street court, I'll be fine.

Kuroko: If that's the case, I'm going to request to be your first one-on-one when you've recovered.

Kagami: Haha. You won't stand a chance, but bring it! How are the others doing? Do they still play?

Kuroko: Kagami-kun, don't start challenging them the moment your plane lands. You need to recover first. They are doing alright, I don't have contact with them as much as I'd like to though. Everyone has moved on with their own lives, I guess.

Kagami: Yeah.. me neither.. Well asides Aomine of course. And Kise who spams my inbox with useless crap. How is Midorima doing? Is he still together with Takao?

Kuroko: Last time I've heard of him everything was still alright. It's been a few months however. he and I never really were that close, I'm afraid. I haven't heard anything of them breaking up either, so I assume Midorima-kun and Takao-kun are still a couple. 

Kagami: I see..

...

Kuroko: Why don't you ask what you really want to, Kagami-kun?

Kagami: ... How is she?

Kuroko: It's been years since I last saw her. She brushed everyone, except for Takao-kun, Midorima-kun and Akashi-kun, off. So I'm afraid I can't tell you much. I've heard she's been working a lot ever since she graduated.

Kagami: Mmm.. that was to be expected, I guess. She did say she wanted to focus on her career.. So, I take it she's happy with that.

Kuroko: I guess you're right. Actually I wanted to talk to you about something else today that might be something involving Amami-kun.

Kagami: Yeah?

Kuroko: I've received papers of a new child to enter my class when summer vacation ends. On the paper it says the name of the child is Amami Kotarou.

Kagami: ...

Kuroko: Like I said, I don't really know for sure if it's Amami Seo we're talking about. Though it is her name on the form... and the picture shows a boy with ginger hair..

Kagami: ... She has a child? What? Since when?!

Kuroko: Hang on, Kagami-kun. I'm reasonably sure this will be all explained pretty soon. I'm fairly sure it's not entirely as it seems. For one, it says the boy is 3,5 years old. That means that she would've been pregnant not long after you left for America. I've only seen her once during that period and she didn't look like she was expecting. Second, I'm pretty sure that either Akashi-kun or Midorima-kun would've mentioned something like that if that were the case. Then third, while her name is on the form, it says she is the guardian and I don't see any name of the father either.

Kagami: What does that even mean?! You even say the boy looks like her! Did she get over me that fast, gotten herself pregnant and the guy left them?!

Kuroko: Kagami-kun calm down. Amami-kun doesn't strike me as the kind of person who would do something so carelessly. I'm afraid we'll just have to wait until school starts again.

Kagami: Don't tell me to calm down, Kuroko! I AM calm!! Dammit why did you have to say this, you should've waited until you knew for sure..

Kuroko: I didn't want to hide anything from my best friend, Kagami-kun.

Kagami: FINE! Fine.. whatever. I guess it can't be helped for now. Jeez now I'm SURE I won't be able to sleep on the plane tomorrow..

Kuroko: I'm sure you'll manage Kagami-kun. I'll be waiting at the airport to pick you up by the way. It's the least I can do.

Kagami: Appreciate it. Guess I'll go and try to get some sleep. I'll see you in two days.

Kuroko: No worries, Kagami-kun. Good night.

Kagami: Night man..

Kagami Taiga has gone offline.


	24. Chapter 24

"Ko-chan, stop that please. No.. put that down, Kotarou." Amami, who was standing in her kitchen watched as Kotarou threw the remote controller of her tv on the ground.

"I wanna go hooome~" Kotarou's face was entirely red from being upset while tears were streaming down his cheeks.

Amami had hoped she could've prepared their dinner quickly without interruptions, but the sudden outburst of her nephew had her turning off her stove to comfort Kotarou instead. She crouched in front of him on the floor while he sat on her couch, throwing the pillows around in his tantrum. "I know you're upset Ko-chan, but this is your new home now. We won't be able to go back to your previous home, sweetie."

"I want my mommy and daddy~ Why aren't they here?!~" Kotarou wailed, while trashing his arms around in anger.

Amami tried to calm the boy down by wrapping her arms around him, locking his arms in place, but it seemed to do exactly the opposite. He wildly started to trash his entire body against hers, rejecting her embrace as he did. Making the woman back away from the rejection. "Ko-chan, you know they won't be coming back anymore, right? We talked about it before yeah? Mommy and daddy have been in an accident and passed away."

Amami had done some research on the internet on how to explain a toddler his parents were both dead without being too blunt or mysterious about it. After hours of reading a hundred and one different ways she gave up and decided to explain it as best as she could. He seemed to understand back then, but it didn't stop him from asking for them whenever he was having a tantrum. She couldn't blame him however, if this is how he dealt with the loss, then so be it, she'll take the brunt of his ire any time if that meant it would help him move on.

"But.. but I want..." The boy's face now covered in tears and snot making his aunt instantly clean it up with tissues.

"I know sweetie.. I miss them too. I'm sorry you have to go through this, Ko-chan. But hey.. we got each other, right? I'll take good care of you whenever you're sad and you'll do the same, right sweetie?" Amami wrapped her arms once more around the now pacified toddler. Wrapping her arms around the still sobbing child.

She still had a way to go to learn on how to deal with him the best she could, but she was slowly getting there. She figured out that he's most vulnerable for small outbursts when he's tired and that he sort of understood what happened to his parents, but sometimes didn't want to accept it. More importantly she became aware of the things that would help him calm down. It seemed that the boy was more easily coerced into working along with her when she made it sound as if he would do it for her. While basically that was indeed the case, it did warm her heart that her nephew wanted to help his aunt just as much.

Kotarou's pudgy hand reached out towards Amami's face and wiped away the lone tear rolling down her cheek. “Don't cry auntie..”

Amami softly gasped when she realized she had indeed been crying along with her nephew. She always managed to keep her feelings at bay when dealing with the boy, not wanting to trigger anything within him. But perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea to show him that she was also hurting and that they both were in the same boat. “I'll do my best, sweetie. But you know it's ok to cry, right? It helps people whenever they're sad. So, whenever you're sad, cry. That way I'll know when to comfort you. We'll have to look out for one another from now on, do you think you can do that?” She sniffled and wiped her face before placing a kiss on his forehead.

Kotarou's chest puffed up with determination and nodded his little head firmly. “Okay auntie..” 

Now that the toddler had been calmed down it clearly showed how tired he was by the way his eyes started to droop. Amami didn't want the child to fall asleep just yet since they still had to eat and take a bath. She knew that if he would sleep now he'd have problems falling asleep later on. “Hey, won't you come help your auntie make dinner? I need someone to clean the vegetables for me.”

The boy yawned cutely but nodded once more. “I will clean the vegetables for you, auntie.”

“Thank you, Ko-chan.” She placed another kiss on his cheeks before picking him up to move towards the kitchen. She quickly started to fill the sink with lukewarm water and dropped the already cut vegetables in it. Placing Kotarou on the counter while firmly holding his body with one arm so she could continue preparing the food with the other. Making sure he wouldn't fall off or get too close to the stove. The water successfully keeping the boy awake long enough for them to finish dinner and eventually take a bath. The night was ended with the usual bed time story, which Amami had grown fond of. Both of them snuggled up to each other on his bed while she tried her best to re-enact the story with fitting voices, combined with the toys they both held, playing around. It didn't take long for the boy to eventually succumb into deep slumber, giving Amami the opportunity to quietly slip out and continue her work in her own bedroom.

**************

She could've sworn she had put Kotarou in bed early enough. Then why was he throwing a tantrum right now when she needed it the least. Amami was mentally cursing herself for not having prepared everything the night before. She thought she would've had enough time when she put her alarm at 6am.

Right now she was staring the toddler down who had taken it upon himself to throw everything loose in his chubby reach towards the ground. “Kotarou, we talked about this before. It's not nice to throw things to the floor, they might break.” She tried sweetly.

“Don't care...” He pouted, his bottom lip quivering slightly when he tried to keep his tears at bay.

Amami tried everything in her power to not lose her calm, but the boy had been testing her patience all morning. “Ko-chan, I know the first day of your new school sounds scary but.. you remember what the sweet principal said, right? She told us that you'd make lots of new friends and your teacher will be very nice. So there's no reason to be scared.”

“I don't wanna go~” He started to sniffle, in spite of Amami's attempt to cheer him up.

Amami subtly glanced at the clock on the wall, indicating that if this was going to keep up they'd be late for both school and work. She racked her brain together to come up with a quick solution to get the boy at least to work with her for the next ten minutes. “Hey, Ko-chan. Auntie wants to eat teppanyaki today, would you like to join me tonight?” She felt slightly guilty for trying to bribe the boy with food. It's not like she was dealing with a moody Murasakibara anyway.

“Red bean soup!” He forcefully let out, but the tears subsiding at least.

“But I thought you liked teppanyaki?” She wondered why the boy wouldn't want his favorite dish tonight.

“I like red bean soup more now!” He continued stubbornly, wriggling around when Amami managed to put on his shoes.

Amami slightly winced. Red bean soup during summer wasn't ideal at all. It's been too hot for that dish, even if it's the cold version. She also didn't have to think long on why the boy suddenly liked red bean soup more. The boy had stayed at Takao and Midorima for a few hours during the weekend. She could only assume Midorima had let the boy sip from his soup. Right now, however, she didn't care. All she wanted was to get Kotarou to stop fighting her so they could go both on their way. “Alright sweetie, we'll eat red bean soup tonight, on one condition.” She lifted her index finger up in front of him to make sure she had his attention. “You'll hurry up with me and you'll be nice to your new friends today. I'll have sensei tell me if you did, deal?”

Kotarou scrunched his brows together in thought before nodding brusquely, agreeing with the deal. “O-Okay..”

Thankfully she managed to overcome the morning's obstacle and after a short ride in her car, they finally arrived at his new school. Quickly unbuckling Kotarou from the special car seat and picking him up to save extra time she's sure she'll need before entering the building.

Both of them glanced around when they were walking through the corridor that had windows who gave a view of every classroom. She kept going until she arrived at the correct door and took a deep breath, her nephew wasn't the only one nervous. She tried her best to hide it however, but knowing that she'd have to place her nephew in a stranger's care was still.. scary for her. “Alright Ko-chan, here we are. Remember what I asked of you? Be nice to your new friends and have fun today. We'll have red bean soup for dinner tonight if you do.” 

The boy clenched her jacket with his small hands, face nuzzling her neck shyly. “I'm scared auntie Seo..” The voice pleading to take him away from this new and scary place.

Amami felt her heart constrict at the sound. She didn't want him to feel this way, but she naturally knew that this was only for today. Before he'd realize it, he'd be having fun in there. That's the only thing that kept Amami from not running back outside at the moment. She merely hugged the boy tighter in order to comfort him while knocking the door before entering the classroom. “I know sweetie, but it'll be fine, I promise.”

They both stood in the classroom, glancing around the room. It was filled with toys and little furniture for children while a small group of children were already running about. She couldn't however pinpoint the only grownup that was supposed to be there. “Now.. where is--”

“Good morning, Amami-kun. It's been a while.”

The moment that familiar voice and manner of greeting reached Amami's ear she froze on the spot. Eyes wide as she clenched Kotarou closer against her, who was still nuzzling her neck in a shy fashion. She slowly turned around, her mind a mantra of denial, until her eyes met light blue orbs. “Ku-Kuroko..-kun?”

“Yes, well technically it's Kuroko-sensei now.” He lightly bowed in greeting before looking at the toddler in her arms. “I take it this is Kotarou-kun?” His voice turned from its usual emotionless tone into a warm soothing one. 

It took Amami a small moment to compose herself before answering her old friend. “A-Ah yes, sorry, this is Kotarou. Ko-chan say 'hello' to Kuroko-sensei.” Her mind was entirely blurring up with every second that passed, not able to form a logical thought asides trying to get Kotarou to look up from her shoulder.

Kotarou slowly raised his watery eyes towards a smiling Kuroko and swallowed thickly. “H-Hello.. Kuro..ko-sensei”

Amami smiled a little with relief as the boy found the courage to speak up and greet his new teacher. That smile was short lived when numerous other thoughts started to cross her mind making her feel awkward. They used to be friends but she slowly started to shut him and the others out because of Kagami. She knew now, that she was wrong and they deserved better from her, but she never managed to actually do something about it. The fear of running into Kagami had always been a great factor.

“Hello Kotarou-kun, it's nice to meet you. Welcome to our class.” Kuroko gently patted Kotarou's hair, which made the boy relax instantly to Amami's surprise.

Amami could only look upon the scene owlishly. Not only did Kuroko suddenly appear in her life by becoming her nephew's teacher. But he seemed to use some sort of magic on the boy that calmed him where Amami seemed to be failing all morning.

“T-Take good care of.. me, please.” The boy, still a little shy uttered politely. Been taught by his parents to always properly introduce himself towards people. 

“Why don't we put you on the ground so you can take your coat off?” Kuroko said, not so subtly staring at Amami with an amused smile.

Amami fumbled nervously after she nodded and did as she was told. She immediately crouched in front of him to help him with the zipper, but the sudden nerves had her like a bumbling mess that the zipper started to hitch.

“Auntie, you're doing it wrong!” Kotarou frowned at the zipper which was now stuck and started to help his aunt (fruitlessly), by pawing the zipper himself.

“I know sweetie, I'm sorry, just.. let me...there! It's open now..” She gently brushed the jacket off the small boy's shoulders, breathing in a small huff of victory as she sensed her nerves starting to subside.

Meanwhile Kuroko had been observing the scene in front of him and couldn't help but smile a little when the boy had called her his aunt. It made things more clear to the man even though other questions were now rising up. He also noticed that the woman had been glancing at her watch several times now and realized by the way she was dressed that she was going to work today. “Alright, Kotarou-kun, why don't we say goodbye to your auntie. We'll need to get you dressed in your shirt and introduce you towards the rest of us.” 

Amami was startled when he had called her that but nodded gratefully when she realized he tried to help her by not being late for work. She quickly hugged the boy tightly and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Be nice to everyone in here Ko-chan. Listen very carefully to Kuroko-sensei, you'll have so much fun today that I'll be back before you know it and then we'll have that red bean soup you wanted to. But you'll have to be on your best behavior for that, okay?”

Kotarou clenched her jacket a small moment while biting his bottom lip, but bravely nodded at the mention of the food. “I'll do my best, auntie Seo..”

“I know you will sweetie.” She kissed the boy's cheek before standing up straight and nodding gratefully at Kuroko who had waited patiently.

“Don't worry, Amami-kun. He's in good hands here.” He tried to comfort the woman whose eyes had watered up slightly.

“I know.. I'll see you tonight.. Kuroko-ku..-sensei.” She started to walk out of the class while waving at her nephew. She could've never prepared herself for the heartbreak she was feeling right now when she saw how his face became a little sad and scared once more. She knew he was going to be fine however and weirdly enough she felt relieved that she actually knew the teacher. Now.. she'd have to deal with an angry Kashima for being late.

**************

After a chaotic day at work, Amami finally managed to convince her boss that she'd continue her work at home in the evening since she was late this morning. She was now making a dash through the very same hallway she'd passed through this morning, only now it was filled with mothers about to pick up their children. She felt relieved knowing she made it in time and immediately made her way in Kotarou's classroom.

“Look Kotarou-chan, your auntie has arrived to come pick you up.” Kuroko pointed out while he was crouching right next to him.

“Auntie Seo! Look what I made today!” He beamed proudly when he was waving a paper in the air.

“Let me see! Oh.. that's so pretty Ko-chan. T-This is a..” She tilted her head slightly, trying to figure out _what_ exactly she was staring at. It was a combination of pasta glued on the paper with paint around it. But the undefined form left her slightly confused.

“A very beautiful horse.” Kuroko helpfully chimed in. He smiled back when he noticed the grateful sigh from her.

“I made it for you auntie Seo! Look, these are his legs.. and this is his nose!” He started to pinpoint every detail with his stubby finger with glee as he was receiving the compliments.

Amami refrained from squinting her eyes and feigned that she could completely see what exactly it was. “It's very pretty Ko-chan, I'm proud of you!” She ruffled his ginger hair before giving him a tight hug. “Have you been nice to everyone today?”

“Uhm..” He owlishly looked at his aunt before looking at Kuroko.

“Yes, he has Amami-kun. He's a very sweet boy, just a little shy, but you loosened up quite fast, right Kotarou-chan?” Kuroko affirmed his good behavior while undoing the light blue shirt all the toddlers had to wear during the day. “Why don't you put your shirt away with the others and place your work on my desk? That way I can tell your auntie all the nice things you've done.” He lied a little but coerced the toddler into leaving them by themselves for a moment.

“Okaaaay~” He took both things and wobbled towards the desk and the small coat-rack to do as he was asked.

Amami smiled at his enthusiasm before looking back at a more serious Kuroko. “You have questions.” She simply stated, already realizing that Kuroko was probably wondering many things.

“It's not my place to pry, Amami-kun. If it's personal I won't hold it against you. I'm sure you'll tell me if there's anything I should know.” He answered blankly while he kept his eyes on the small group of children still lingering in his classroom.

Amami took a deep breath and released it with an exhausted sigh, not looking forward towards the upcoming topic. But she owed the man some sort of explanation on various topics. “Right, well.. as you have realized by now. Kotarou is my nephew. My brother's son.. who has passed away.. recently, together with his wife.” She paused a moment, it was clear as day that she was hurting a lot. Kuroko decided to give her time and decided to nod in silence. “Before she passed away.. she asked me to take care of him. So now I'm his guardian and in charge of his well-being.” She gulped audibly, finding it hard to say it aloud. It wasn't easy and she knew it will never be.

“I see.. I'm sorry for your loss, Amami-kun. My condolences. I'm sure you'll be an excellent guardian for your nephew and that you'll both find a way to deal with your grief.” Kuroko gave her a sad smile, his eyes soft. He already assumed something bad had happened, but knowing exactly what let him know on how to deal with the toddler when the occasion would arise.

“As for the rest.. I'm sorry for breaking contact with you.. with everyone. I.. I don't have any excuse for doing that. I've been meaning to make it up, but with each passing day it seemed so much harder to do so.. I truly regret treating my friends the way I did back then however and I hope you'll somehow forgive me for it.” She had been staring at the ground the entire time, but cast her sorrowful expression towards Kuroko when she finished, wanting to show how sincere she was.

Kuroko honestly hadn't expected for her to say anything about that matter, so it was to no surprise he seemed a little taken aback by the confession. He only wanted to know more about the situation of her nephew and herself. The fact that the woman was profusely apologizing and giving him this sad and hurt expression showed how she actually felt bad about the loss of their friendship. It made him happy to see the woman still cared for them. He could understand partially why she did it back then, it was clear the woman had a hard time getting over Kagami and being around him and the others would've only brought up that pain every single time. 

“Amami-kun.. we truly cared for you back then, we still do. We wouldn't have forced you into something you didn't want to, but it was sad that it stopped you entirely from staying in touch with us. I know that, being friends with Kagami-kun, you didn't want to be remembered of him when hanging out with us. Though I really wished you would've told us so, we would've gladly helped you together. We were still friends, no matter what happened between you and Kagami-kun.”

Amami deflated further and felt even worse now when he had put it that way. “I know.. I can only apologize for that right now.”

“However, the fact you apologized and explained while I didn't expect you to, does gladden me, Amami-kun.” Kuroko tried, having noticed the depressed atmosphere around the woman.

“Yes.. well. For whatever it's still worth, I regret every decision I made back then. You guys, Kagami, my family.. many other things.” She sighed deeply, knowing she could continue for ages on how many things she had fucked up back then. She couldn't dwell on these things anymore however and had to move on, which she had been doing until recently.

Kuroko raised his eyebrow slightly at that revelation. “Do you regret not following Kagami-kun to America?” Kuroko asked, suddenly not so bothered for her privacy.

Amami opened her mouth, wanting to answer something but chose to rethink her answer. “I would've done things differently.” 

While that didn't exactly answer his question, the way she had said it told Kuroko enough. “You were both idiots.” He stated ever so casually which made Amami's focus snap for a moment giving him an annoyed 'Oi..'

She wanted to scold the teacher for insulting her, but deep down inside she knew he was right. She nodded in agreement. “We were, but I was the coward on top of that.” She shrugged and felt like this was enough for now. “Can't be helped anymore, right?”

“There's sadly no cure for idiocy, indeed. But there are other ways around it.” Kuroko quipped in a more lighthearted nature, alleviating the negative mood.

Amami snorted in amusement, being the victim of Kuroko's brutal honesty for the first time. But other than that this showed that Kuroko, in his own way, had forgiven Amami, which made her smile. “As much as I'd like to catch up with you, I'm afraid I have to get Kotarou home..”

“Very well, Amami-kun. I'm glad to have seen you once more. Have a safe trip home.” He fondly smiled as he saw Amami walk towards Kotarou who had been playing with a stuffed toy.

The three of them said their goodbyes before Amami and Kotarou disappeared from the classroom, heading home.

“This is going to get interesting..” He noted to no one in particular before tending towards the last remaining children in his class.


	25. Chapter 25

Later that night Amami and Kotarou both succeeded on having dinner and a bath without much problems. Kotarou was tired, which made Amami wary of any potential tantrums, but the boy behaved nonetheless. The events of that day made the toddler tell his aunt every single detail about it with the last bits of excitement he could muster.

Needless to say Amami was relieved to know that his first day in his new school turned out much better than expected and that she actually knew the teacher so she wouldn't have to worry too much. That fact, however, also put her in an annoyed mood later on when the toddler was snugly tucked away in his bed.

Amami sought out the furthest corner in her apartment, away from Kotarou, when she whipped out her cellphone. Skimming through her contacts list she ended on Midorima's name and, after taking a deep breath, pushed the 'call' button.

"Hello Seo-chan, how's it crackin'?" The familiar voice of her childhood friend burst through the speaker, making her take a quick look at her screen to check if she indeed chose Midorima's number, instead of Takao's.

"Ah.. Kazu-chan, I'm alright. We both are. I need Mido-kun for a moment, is he around?" She laced extra sugary sweetness in her voice that barely managed to cover the venom in it, alerting her friend that his lover was in trouble.

"Ohoho.. he is, indeed! Gimme a moment.." Amami heard the rustle of him walking through their apartment to find his lover. "One unsuspecting Shin-chan comin' up!" And with that she heard the phone being placed in the her friend's hand.

"Hello, this is Midorima." He politely said, a little flustered at the weird vibe he was getting from his boyfriend.

"YOU KNEW!" Amami practically yelled through the receiver, instantly fearing she might have woken up Kotarou in the process.

Midorima held the device away from his ear a little bit too late. Even Takao seemed to be startled by the sudden outburst of their friend. "You'll need to be more precise, Amami." He tried, still a little flustered.

"You told me the kindergarten was a good place for Kotarou! You even gave me good reviews and said some of your patients recommended it! You lied just to get Kotarou into Kuroko's class!" She hissed through her clenched teeth as she raved on.

"I see.. hmm, I didn't expect Kotarou-kun to be placed in Kuroko's class. I did however know he worked there, nanodayo." He calmly stated, a small hint of achievement in his voice.

"Y-You..! Don't you dare be smug about it. I can't believe you did this to me Mido-kun.." She let out a sigh, knowing she was again over-reacting but hell, she was upset that the man had gone to these lengths to get Kotarou, and with that also herself, in Kuroko's life. "You could've at least warned me.." She sounded a little defeated in the end.

"I apologize if this makes you feel betrayed, Amami. It is however for your own well-being. While Kuroko is indeed a teacher there, the school is still one of the best in your neighborhood. It's no surprise that Kuroko ended up working there. Besides that, whatever you may think, I still think this is a good opportunity. It would do you good to get back in contact with your old friends and move on from the past, nanodayo." Midorima explained his reasoning with an air that held too much wisdom to Amami's liking. Not at all bothered with the contradicting nature of his statement.

Amami sighed as she listened to her friend on the phone, suddenly too tired and unwilling to fight over something like this with her friend. "For the sake of my sanity, try to warn me next time, Mido-kun. Your concern is appreciated, but perhaps a bit ill-placed, I have enough stress with what's going on already, I didn't need this to bombard me on top of that. All in all.. it's just Kuroko I guess, so it'll be fine.. I think." She pinched the bridge of her nose, slight annoyance replacing the anger she felt before.

"..." Midorima was quiet for a moment, full aware of upcoming possibilities but refrained from mentioning it to her. Once more opting to go for remaining silent instead, rather than telling her the truth. "I take it Kotarou's first day went fine?"

Amami didn't detect the hesitation from her friend, still stewing with her own annoyance to Midorima's relief. "Yes, he seemed to enjoy it. It was a bit rough this morning, but we pulled through it and... I guess I'll have to admit that knowing who his teacher is, puts me a little more at ease.." She didn't want to admit too much for now, but she was grateful about that fact at least.

They both continued a little more before Takao pounced his boyfriend and stole the phone in order to chat with Amami instead. Sadly they couldn't talk for much longer since she still had some work to finish that evening, but they were glad nonetheless to hear that she's been doing alright, grief and stress aside. Takao and Midorima, per usual, offered her their help if it's ever needed, wanting to be there for her no matter what. Amami gratefully thanked them and promised she would call on them when the time arrived.

**************

"Ah, sorry, am I a little too early?" Kagami ruffled the back of his hair as he stood in the doorway of Kuroko's classroom. Adjusting the straps of the arm sling he was reluctantly wearing.

Kuroko could only blink when the man appeared at the door before checking the clock on the wall. "About an hour, Kagami-kun. Seems like someone is a bit excited for tonight."

Kagami noticed the faint smugness that came from his friend but decided not to bark anything senseless towards his shadow. He was, after all, way too early for their night of catching up. "I guess I am. I'm bored out of my mind at my place, it's killing me I'm not allowed to play."

"You'll play soon enough, I'm sure. Have you unpacked everything already then? Last time we spoke you told me there were still plenty of boxes to go through." Kuroko motioned for the man to enter his classroom, making the redhead somewhat hesitant.

"Ah.. are you sure it's okay if I wait in here?" He looked at the group of frightened children who somehow started to huddle together, some of their eyes already getting watery at the intimidating presence. "And.. no. I still need to unpack a few, but it's boring."

"I see you haven't changed much. The children will be alright, just try to look a little bit less scary than usual. Kuroko huffed with amusement as he crouched by the toddlers, introducing them to the tall man. "Class, this is Kagami-kun, even though he looks really angry, he's really a nice guy. Please treat him well."

The children blinked between Kuroko and Kagami, still unsure that their teacher was speaking the truth about the man. Kagami was already used to these sorts of reactions from kids, they somehow always start to cry when they see him, no matter what he does. He sighed a little before he tried his best to smile towards the little ones who were now seeking refuge behind Kuroko's legs.

"Bunny-chan!" A voice called out. A moment later the toddler that had spoken up emerged from the group and pointed his chubby finger towards Kagami.

" _B-Bunny-chan_?!" Kagami exclaimed rather loudly, completely taken by surprise at the ridiculous name.

Kuroko simply stared in awe as he noticed Kotarou walking up towards Kagami, excitement flaring up in the little one as he was the only one brave enough to initiate something with Kagami.

"Uwaaah.. Bunny-chan is so red." Kotarou, who reached Kagami's knee started to wriggle his hand upwards.

"Kuroko, you ba--" He halted himself just in time, not wanting to swear in front of children. He wasn't that dumb. "Did you teach them to call me like that?" He splutters out indignantly, still looking with awe towards the ginger haired toddler.

"Of course not, Kagami-kun. You were here when I introduced them to you." Kuroko noted, not able to hide the amusement from his friend. He started to put two and two together, knowing Kotarou to be Amami's nephew and the fact that he seemed to recognize Kagami. But, Bunny-chan? He still needed to figure out how he came up with _that_ precious nickname.

Before he could say anything else, the toddler who didn't get what he wanted from Kagami, went straight towards a stray small ball and grabbed it with both hands before hobbling his way back towards the man. "Bunny-chan, play with me please?"

"Play.. with you.. erh.." Kagami looked at the teacher, completely mystified by now. When the latter could only chuckle Kagami decided, with a scowl, to ignore him and focus his attention once more towards the familiar colored hair from the toddler. "Sure.. ehm, you want to play with the ball?"

Kotarou jumped excitedly on the spot when Bunny-chan agreed while the other toddlers were looking at the exchange. Their wide stares of awe slowly being taken over by curiosity at the man. Meanwhile Kotarou shoved the ball rather forcefully, due to his excitement, towards Kagami. A small shriek of giddiness and glee escaping the child's mouth.

Kagami hesitated before accepting the ball, still not sure on whether a big brute like him should actually do so. "A-Alright.. I'm gonna throw the ball to you, okay?" He noticed Kotarou preparing himself by widening his stance in a slight familiar way. 

His gaze not leaving the ball one second while he licked his plump lip. He nodded firmly, showing Kagami he was ready to play ball. "Play!"

Kagami chuckled a little awkwardly at the strange toddler and gently threw the ball with an arch upwards, towards the toddler. "Here we... go..?" He wanted to say, but just stared in shock when he noticed the toddler didn't move and would only watch as the ball rolled away from him. 

Kotarou scrunched his nose in dismay before he mustered an upset glare towards Kagami. "No! Not like that!" He picked up the ball and tried to bounce the ball on the ground towards Kagami. Pouting a little when the ball completely went the other direction. "Like that!"

Kagami noticed the frown on the toddler, not sure if the kid was going to cry any minute or not. He looked at Kuroko, as if to ask for help.

"I think he wants you to dribble the ball and pass it towards him, Kagami-kun." Kuroko, who had managed to figure the toddler out quite fast, had picked up the ball and placed it in Kagami's hands again.

"Dribble, pass.. eh? Jeez and then you think _I'm_ obsessed.." He scowled at his best friend, but when the shadow didn't say anything he looked back towards the toddler who seemed to have cheered up once more. 

His gaze once more fixated on the ball Kagami was holding as he widened his stance. "Pass, Bunny-chan!" His tense face abruptly falling before adding another 'please' to it.

Kagami could only chuckle at that, somehow familiar with that attitude. "Alright, but you better pay attention then.." He grinned a little when he saw the faces of the group of children full of awe directed towards him when he was dribbling the toy ball in place. When he noticed Kotarou was ready he, still gently, passed the ball, making it bounce on the ground before it ended in Kotarou's hands.

The group of toddlers broke out in squeals and gasps of amazement when the ball bounced so fluidly towards their fellow classmate. Kotarou meanwhile was in his own little world now, shrieking out with such happiness as he just received a pass from _the_ famous Bunny-chan he came to adore from tv. "Again, again! ..Please!"

Kuroko could only look on in amazement how the toddlers, who were at first so scared and intimidated by the man, suddenly were so enthralled by him when he was playing with the ball. He looked fondly at the two of them when he spoke up. "Kotarou-chan, are you going to tell your auntie you've played with Bunny-chan?"

“Mmhm! I'm gonna tell uncle Kazu and uncle Shin-chan too!” The boy beamed proudly, smiling the biggest smile Kuroko has seen on the toddler.

“Is that so..” Kuroko answered a little non-committed and opted to observe his friend instead.

Kagami's brain finally made the realization that he was indeed dealing with Amami's nephew. Really, he should've known ever since Kuroko had confirmed it earlier this week. That it was indeed family of 'their' Amami and that the toddler is her nephew. He should've realized it before when a blur of ginger hair wobbled up to him, the hue so familiar to the woman he hadn't seen in many years. Right now he was just staring at the kid, the gleeful rant he was giving his teacher muffled down since a wave of thoughts of _her_ came into mind. “Seo..” He mutters unconsciously as he kept his gaze transfixed on the boy who was now looking up expectantly towards Kagami. He knew Amami's nephew was in Kuroko's class now, he knew that Amami had been talking with Kuroko ever since. He knew all of this, so why did he feel nervous all of a sudden.

 

“Yes, I'll tell auntie Seo everything!” Kotarou hummed, as if answering Kagami's unspoken question. His tongue darting out slightly as he focused intently on the ball in his hand before he threw it on the ground. The ball still missing its target, but he's gotten closer this time.

“R-Right..” Kagami answered wisely, opting to run for the ball instead of facing the toddler. “Right..” His brows knitted in deep thought for a small moment since the toddler was already demanding, in a weird polite way, to pass the ball towards him once more.

Before he realized it, he ended up playing ball with the rest of the class while Kuroko kept an eye on them. They'd been passing and trying to mimic Kagami's movements while twinkles of admiration shone brightly in their eyes, their fear completely forgotten.

Kuroko figured that it wouldn't hurt the children to spend most of their energy playing around with Kagami on this Friday afternoon. He was even sure some parents would be able to appreciate their child to be worn out so they could have an easy evening with them. It was then that his musings were interrupted by his cellphone, the device indicating he received a text.

'I'm being swamped with meetings and I can't seem to make my way out of them. I'll do my best, but I can't promise anything. I'm terribly sorry. Amami.'

'Oh boy..' Is what he thought when he closed his cellphone, his ever so stoic gaze lingering on Kagami who seemed to have transformed into a living jungle gym with the way the toddlers were climbing all over him. He would've laughed at his friend's expense if it weren't for the impending encounter between those two. He didn't think of this happening, since he was so caught up with the children when Kagami arrived too early. If Kagami came over at the time they agreed to, he wouldn't have seen Amami, well that was until he received the text message. It seemed the two idiots were fated to meet with each other today and Kuroko wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing.

**************

'Shit, shit, shit,..' Was all Amami could think of as she was sprinting down the hallway of the kindergarten, high heels dangerously clacking loudly when they touched the tiles beneath her. It was when she passed the windows of his classroom that, in mid-sprint, she noticed the fiery mop of red hair. The all too familiar man suddenly the center of her attention making Amami dig her heels into the ground, screeching to a halt. She stood there frozen in front of the window, taking in the sight of Kagami dribbling a ball with his left hand while her nephew was eagerly jumping up and around the man, attempting to steal the object. Her chest felt an intense sharp pain, not sure if her heart was going to explode or just stop any moment now. 'What's he doing here.. he's supposed to be in America?'

“He moved back to Tokyo recently, due to his surgery.” Kuroko answered quietly, now standing next to Amami making them both stare at the unknowing pair playing inside the classroom.

She didn't realize that she had said her thoughts out loud, nor did she realize Kuroko had come outside to meet her. None of that mattered anyway, her brain had seemingly abandoned her somewhere down the hallway since she couldn't think clearly anymore. All she could do was blink at the man next to her, if he had scared her with his famous appear act, he couldn't tell. The woman was already too shell-shocked to care what else was going on, not even registering the loud laughter from her nephew.

“They've been playing for a while now, it seems Kotarou-chan gets along really well with Kagami-kun.” He looked at Amami, curious what her expressions would tell the man. 

Amami's eyes widen with panic. She thinks of all those times that she played one of Kagami's games on her tv when her nephew came to visit her. Remembering the first time she saw him with such an expression of pure awe. She hadn't realized even until recently, or _especially_ recently, that she'd been watching his old games together with her nephew. Those 90 minutes spent together on the couch, drowning out their grief by distracting them with the game in front of them. Something that always seemed to make the boy happy, making it a perfect excuse for herself to watch her old lover once more in action on the court. Unconsciously reaching out for the soothing balm to ease the pain inside, something Kagami's appearance always supplied to her. It wasn't anything like that right now, however. His appearance would only put immense strain on her right now. Thoughts of them together as a couple, memories of the break up, those hurt feelings she held on to for years, all swirling inside of her when her eyes locked with equally shocked and pained ones staring right back at her.

Kagami didn't even flinch when the ball Kotarou threw, hit him against his leg. He could only stare at the woman on the other side of the window. None of them moved an inch until Kotarou let out a disappointed 'Noo~' while chasing the ball rolling away from the man. Making both grown ups to direct their gaze towards the toddler for a small moment before gazing back at each other.

Kotarou gripped the ball once more, bounding towards Kagami but noticed the man was busy looking somewhere. It's then that Kotarou looked to the same direction and saw his aunt standing there. “Auntie Seo! I'm heeeere~” Dropping the ball instantly he darted towards the door.

It's when Kotarou pulled on the hem of her skirt, demanding her attention that she finally snapped out of the stupor she was in and looked at her nephew instead. “Hey Ko-chan, sorry I'm late sweetie. I had a lot to do at work..” She started to apologize, not expecting the happy smile to greet her.

“It's okay auntie Seo, Bunny-chan was here to play with me, look!” He pointed towards the man who stood awkwardly in the middle of the classroom. He seemed so out of the place between the miniature furniture, but that didn't phase Amami one bit. It was Kotarou who named Kagami 'Bunny-chan' however, that made her wish to disappear into thin air.

“K-Ko-chan, his name is Kagami-san, not Bunny-chan.” She tried to correct her nephew, feeling immensely embarrassed as the others were just staring at her now.

“Nooo, it's Bunny-chan! From tv, auntie Seo.” Kotarou explained his aunt, as if his aunt didn't realize it was the same man they always cheered for back at home.

Amami internally cursed for not having successfully corrected Takao and Kotarou long ago, making the boy call Kagami by his real name instead of the ridiculous nickname her friend insisted on giving him.

Meanwhile Kagami could only stare, frozen in place. He knew that he would see her again, since he was too early for his rendezvous with Kuroko. Even when the latter warned him she would be late, he still had time to either prepare himself or flee the scene and wait for his friend at the bar they decided to go to afterwards. He figured he wasn't one to flee from his problems, preferring to tackle them straight on. Right now however, all of that confidence seemed to have flown out of the window, leaving him speechless at the sight of the woman in front of him.

“Look auntie!” Kotarou picked up the ball he had dropped only a moment before and threw it at Kagami, expecting the man to easily grab it. However, since the man was lost in thought he didn't see the ball coming that hit his injured arm. The small jab of pain didn't register, too busy fumbling with the ball.

“Kotarou! Kagami-san's shoulder is injured, be careful!” Amami immediately chided the toddler whose expression went from happy to worried in an instant.

He heard her call him by his last name again, that fact causing him more pain than the ball ever did. Doing his best to shove the hurt aside when he noticed the child's scared expression focused on him. “A-Ah.. it didn't hurt so it's ok.. so don't cry.. please!” He glanced towards Amami who, until now, was looking at his shoulder. Her eyes locking with his like before and they both stood there again.

“H-How did the.. surgery go?” Her voice sounded strained and small but audible enough for him to hear.

“O-Oh.. erh.. this?” He pointed with his good arm towards his right shoulder, as if it could've been another shoulder she was talking about. “It went.. well. They said I could play again soon enough..” He ruffled his red hair furiously, looking anywhere except for her as he explained.

“That's good to hear..” She weakly offered, also not able to look him straight in the eye. She knew of the severity of the injury, he was never going to play as a professional anymore, so was it really that good to hear? She slightly frowned but decided not to voice her thoughts.

“You'll need to rest and do as the doctor has told you for that, Kagami-kun. I won't let you play until the doctor gives you the green light.” Kuroko chimed in, casting an accusing look at the redhead.

“Yeah.. I-I know that, Kuroko.” He scratched his cheek sheepishly.

“Right well.. I'll leave you guys to do whatever it was you were set on doing. I'm sorry again for being so late, I really tried to cut the meetings short but..” She could've gone on about her co-workers and boss being uncooperative with her today, but she knew the teacher wouldn't really be interested in that. “..thank you for waiting and keeping Kotarou busy.” She glanced at Kagami for a small moment before motioning for Kotarou to place the ball in the toy box and prepare to leave.

“It's alright, Amami-kun. I know that you've tried and it is still my job to take care of the children even if the parents, ..or guardian.. are a little late.” Kuroko started, correcting himself in mid-sentence while helping Kotarou take off the light blue shirt.

Amami clenched her jaw tightly, biting away the pain at the mention of parents. She missed her brother so much that every single second her mind wasn't preoccupied with work or Kotarou she felt like dying inside. If that wasn't bad enough, she constantly had these nasty thoughts that she wasn't cut out to take care of a kid. Heck, this week had been proving that fact quite frequently. She was a career-woman for crying out loud, someone who, until her family and friends knocked her back into reality back then, had no time whatsoever for anything outside the company. She promised however and still clung unto the fact that she was helping the family by taking care of him. Her eyes were cast towards the floor with sadness, waiting for Kotarou. She suddenly felt so tired.

“I'm ready, auntie Seo!~” He yelled out excitedly, waving his empty bento-box in the air.

Amami looked up towards her nephew, plastering a fake bright smile on her face when she took hold of his free hand. “Let's go home then, Ko-chan. Say goodbye to Kuroko-sensei and Kagami-san.”

“Bye bye, Kuroko-sensei and Bunny-chan!” Giggling at nothing specific, still too hyped of having met the man from tv.

“Ko-chan!” Amami exclaims as she waved her free arm in defeat while exiting the classroom.

Kagami could only look on, watching them pass by the windows until she was out of his sight. A frown settled on his brows, remembering those harrowing expressions she thought no one noticed making.

“Are you alright, Kagami-kun?” The question pulling Kagami from those thoughts. He smiled sympathetically at his friend. 

Kagami knew he wasn't referring to his shoulder. That little shit always knew how to read people, so it wasn't really a surprise that Kuroko caught up with how the redhead was feeling right now. “Yeah, I guess. It was my decision to stay and wait for her anyway.. Whatever, let's get goin'.” He shrugged his shoulders before wincing slightly at the pain the movement caused.

“Very well, Kagami-kun.” His gaze calculating, not buying his friend's facade, but thankfully for Kagami, decided to drop it.. for now.

**************

Later that night, when Kotarou was tucked in bed, Amami stood next to the window of her living room. The city lights and dark sky soothing her faintly. She held her cellphone against her ear, sniffling and sobbing as she sought comfort from Takao.

When she called, she immediately started to explain everything that had happened earlier. How she was late and walked in on Kagami playing with Kotarou. Telling her best friend on how she felt to see her old flame again, never expecting to find the redhead back in Tokyo. But there he was anyway, ripping open old wounds that she deemed healed. She bitterly laughed realizing how wrong she really was. She surely expected Takao to give her a big 'I told you so.', but it never came. He thankfully opted to remain surprisingly calm at the mention of Kagami. She was opening up to him, something she didn't do back then, probably because of the way he always lashed out at the mention of _him_. He didn't want a repeat of that, the last thing Amami needed was closing herself off from her friends and family again. Especially now with Kotarou and the pain their family is going through from their heavy loss.

Granted that didn't stop the raven-haired man to confront his lover later on that evening when they ended their call. Cornering his beloved 'Shin-chan' with heated 'This is your fault' and 'You knew this was goin' to happen'. Deep down inside he knew Midorima meant well with that, but it was way too soon for Amami to deal with anything else than the loss of her brother. Now Kagami was another thing that would keep her up at night and her childhood friend didn't like it one bit.

Midorima seemed to be sincerely sorry, albeit partially. He stubbornly insisted it was still for the best in the end, but admitted he should've warned Amami that Kagami was back in Japan, which was something he apparently knew.

Their lovers' spat eventually died out, having both agree that they weren't going to meddle with Amami's private life to such lengths anymore and Takao promising to cut Kagami some slack.


	26. Chapter 26

“--As you can see in the latest statistics, our profit has been increasing due to the recent merge with the Daimaru corporation indicating that, once we find an even better foothold on the field, we will have a significant inflation of winnings. This is where Kikkoman inc comes in. If we would bundle--” Amami, who was standing in front of a group of men in their meeting room, was holding one of her presentations that hopefully would convince several big shots from Kikkoman inc to collaborate with them with their project. “This concludes our meeting gentlemen. Thank you for joining us, we'd like to hear what you think when you've reached an answer.” She bowed towards the men who were slowly getting up and making their way out of the room. Closing down her laptop with the PowerPoint presentation on it, she softly sighed in relief. She noticed the men to be very interested, asking her plenty of interesting questions that she managed to immediately answer with positive information on the project and her company. She was pretty sure she had them in the bag.

“This sounds like an interesting proposal, Kashima-san. I'm sure that whenever I show our board what we've seen today, that they won't hesitate.” One of the Kikkoman inc officials exclaimed, patting Kashima on the shoulder.

“I'm delighted to hear that! What do you say we talk about it some more with some sake? I know a really great place not so far away from here..” Kashima jovially exclaimed towards the rest of the lingering men, dead set on charming the men to get them on board their project.

“You read my mind! Will your assistant be joining us too, she seems to be very knowledgeable about all the details. I'd love to talk some more with her.” The man asked, looking around to see if the woman was still there.

“I.. I'll ask her, if you really want me to.” Kashima hesitated a little. Frankly it had been happening more and more lately. The woman was starting to become more respected in the last year, making them all praise her with respect. Deep down inside he knew that she had earned it, the amount of effort and time she'd been putting in the company for so many years now. Even recently their own bosses seemed to grow more and more enthusiastic about the woman, talking about how she was indeed one of the best people they had. It vexed him beyond belief. He worked here for more than ten years, found Amami at Akashi's ball and brought her into the company. While they still complimented him, on perhaps jobs he may or may not have done, it was becoming clear that the woman was slowly starting to steal away his spotlight.

“I'd be very delighted to hear some more, that woman seems very promising.” The man offered, sincerely interested into getting to know the woman better.

Kashima tried his best to show him a smile which was stained with dismay and jealousy until Amami passed by, carrying her laptop and briefcase towards her own office. “Ah, Amami-kun, these fine men would love to have your company when we go to the bar. Do you think you could join us?” He asked the woman, the patronizing sound in his voice not entirely escaping the latter.

'Amami- _kun_? Since when does he call me like that..?' She wondered with slight wariness. She quickly glanced at her watch, knowing that she had an hour of leeway before she had to pick Kotarou up from kindergarten. “Ehm, if we would go now I can manage to stay an hour before I have to pick up Kotarou from kindergarten. If you're alright with that, Kashima-san.” She proffered towards the men, still not sure on how to take in the demeaning attitude of her boss.

Kashima didn't expect that answer from the woman at all. He'd assumed she'd have to hurry home as always, ever since she had a child to take care of. He was actually counting on it, hoping the woman would decline the man in front of them, giving him more time with them. Before he could muster a decent response said man beamed enthusiastically next to him.

“I'm sure your boss here wouldn't mind to indulge us. After all, it's work related in the end.” The man smiled brightly, delighted that the woman could join them.

“V-Very well..” Kashima answered with a clear lack of enthusiasm.

Not even ten minutes later they were all sitting in the cozy bar around the corner. The men ordering their sake while Amami asked for some water instead, giving them a responsible 'I still have to drive home.'.

Even if she didn't have to, she still would've said no towards the sake. She had only drank it once, many years ago and the results were.. well, we know what had happened. She'd rather not think about that anymore, in the end she did promise not to touch the specific liquor anymore and she insisted on staying true to her word.

This had earned her an immature scoff from her boss complimented with the usual sexist slur on top of it. She had grown 'used' to it in the past few years, taking it in stride, accepting that this was Japanese society in the business sector at its 'best'. She wouldn't let that get to her though, the men of Kikkoman inc seemed sincerely interested in what the woman had explained them. Their enthusiasm of her presentation picking her right up from the negative attitude her boss was giving off. After a while Amami decided to excuse herself, knowing that she really had to leave now for kindergarten if she wanted to be on time for Kotarou. The men, once more, complimenting the woman on a job well done before she left the bar.

**************

It was the end of September, leaving Tokyo to slowly adapt towards the temperature Autumn usually brought when Amami was driving in her car by herself. It had been clear all day, but the last hour it had started to rain and it didn't seem like it would let up any moment soon.

Their family had gathered together for the second memorial of her brother and sister in law today. Japanese customs dictating family to hold a second memorial 49 days after the passing away of their loved ones. It was also the weekend that Kotarou was staying at her parents which is why she was now heading home all by herself.

It was when she stood in front of a red light that she noticed someone familiar standing on the sidewalk. A tall, bulky man awkwardly struggling with an umbrella and bag in one hand while the other was still in a sling. She simply sat there gazing at how the man was trying to refrain from cursing loudly when the umbrella didn't want to open, leaving the man in the now pouring rain. When the lights turned green she continued on the road, making a u-turn in the middle of the cross-road safely. She drove towards the place she saw the man still struggling, his clothes slowly starting to get soaked and halted right next to him. Lowering the window she peeked up at the unsuspecting man. “Need some help?”

Kagami's gaze instantly snapped towards the familiar voice, halting the struggle he was having with the umbrella and bag. “Seo..?” He stared with shock at the woman in the car, not sure what to make of this.

She didn't know what she was doing either. Perhaps it was because she saw him struggle helplessly in the rain that made her turn around, perhaps it was because she needed to be in his presence, even if it was just a minute to ask whether the man needed her help or not. Most likely it was a combination of the two. She still cared and she was still a human being that would help someone out whenever they seem to be having issues. Even if she wouldn't say it out loud, she was hankering for his presence on this rough day. “You.. you seem to be struggling..” She gestured towards the umbrella dangling in the man's grip.

“Ah erh.. yeah. Damn thing doesn't wanna open..” He humorlessly laughed, drops starting to fall from his wet hair.

“Get in the car, I'll take you home.. or wherever you were going..” She opened the door of the passenger's seat from the inside. 

Kagami stood there baffled by the way the woman was ordering him. He chuckled weakly at that while doing as the woman had told him and clumsily took his seat next to her in the car. “Sorry.. I'm messing up your car..” He weakly says as he pointed towards the water that was slowly dripping from his.. everything on the interior.

“It's just water, Kagami.. it's fine.” She tried her best to give the man a smile, showing him that she indeed didn't mind, but failed, the sorrow and pain from the day preventing her from doing so.

She wasn't even awkward like she was the last time they saw each other, too distracted with other stuff and Kagami noticed it. He frowned a little before he checked the backseat, noticing an empty baby seat. “Your nephew isn't with you..?”

“He's at my parents.. it's their weekend. I was just heading home now..” She explained, following his gaze towards the empty seat in the back. She turned her focus towards the front again, trying to stow away the images of her nephew crying earlier today. “Where do you want me to take you?” She asked the man, perhaps a bit too brash, her index already tapping away on her gps.

He gave her the address, spelling out the name of the street. He huffed in annoyance when he tried to use his arm to insert the address himself but couldn't due to the sling restricting him. “I'm sorry for your loss.. I forgot to say that last time, sorry.” He weakly said as the car was now moving towards his place. He noticed Amami clench the steering, making her knuckles turn white. Her eyes not moving away from the road ahead of her, but slowly glazing over. She only gave him a weak nod, acknowledging the man next to her.

The rest of the ride was spent in surreal silence until they reached their destination. She found a free parking space in front of the tall building Kagami stayed at. They remained quiet in the car, both not sure on how to break the awkward silence that had enveloped them.

It was Kagami who finally decided to man up and break the silence. “Do you wanna..” He motioned towards the building, not sure what exactly it was he was trying to ask and Amami seemed to give him the expression she wasn't following him either. “I mean.. you don't have to.. I could use a little help in there and you seem.. I don't know.. “ He shrugged, wincing as usual at the pain from the movement.

She knew that he didn't need her help for anything important, but if there was anything she could do to ease the man's pain, she guessed she could continue to help since she was already at it. Also the prospect of heading home to an empty apartment suddenly didn't seem as appealing as it had been all week. It was then that she realized that perhaps the man tried to help her instead by giving her some company tonight. After being a couple for so many years you tend to pick up on the other's habits or hidden emotions. Even if they've been separated for so long meanwhile. “Alright..” She eventually answered.

Kagami placed the useless umbrella in the umbrella holder in his hallway while toeing his shoes off. Moving further in the narrow corridor, he gave the woman some room to do the same. He was startled as he felt much smaller hands help him when he started to clumsily pry his jacket off with one hand. Due to the proximity they were in, he could see the familiar pendant hanging from a necklace around her neck. The very same he had given her on one of her birthdays, the red and green gems glinting ever so slightly, bringing feelings he couldn't place his finger on out.

It's when they entered the living room that he decided to break the silence once more. “I'll make some tea, make yourself at home..” Gesturing towards the couch.

She wouldn't have any of it, if she were to join him to offer him some help, she was not going to sit back and relax while he tended to her. She quickly followed him into his kitchen and wordlessly helped the man with whatever she could.

“It's alright, you don't have to help with this, Seo. I'm still capable of doing these little tasks..” He gave her a weak smile but nodded his gratitude nonetheless.

“I know.. I want to.” She brushed the man off, pouring the boiling water from the kettle into their respective cups. “How's your shoulder? I take it you had an appointment with the doctor, seeing you were fighting with your umbrella not so far from the hospital.” If she were in any other state of mind, she would've mentally scolded herself for sounding like a damn creep. It wasn't her place to pry such information from the man, not anymore. But she was still too drained from the rough day to give it much more thought.

“It's doing alright. Rehabilitation is going slow, but that's to be expected from the nature of the injury. I knew what to expect anyway.. I still need to rest my shoulder another few weeks though. I had hoped he would've taken it off today.. but..yeah, I guess it hasn't healed that fast.” He chuckled wryly. He quickly grabbed a towel and started to ruffle the red wild locks still drenched from the rain.

“I see..” She meekly responded, picking up both cups and moving towards the couch in his living room. Placing both cups on the coffee table now in front of them when they took a seat. “Is there really no way to fully recover so you can continue playing in the NBA?” Not even thinking on how painful this question could've been for the man. Somehow she needed to know for sure, know if him going to America was eventually worth the pain it had caused them.

“Nah.. it was already kinda fucked up when I went to see a doctor for the first time. 'Constant over-use' for all those years I've been playing seriously, they said. It became clear pretty fast that I was going to have to decide whether or not to continue, knowing that if I did it would only last a year, give or take and that would be the end of it all. That or quitting my NBA career and take things slowly from now on.. The choice was easy to be honest.. it's.. accepting, that is the hardest. “ He shrugged with his good shoulder as he stared at his cup on the table.

Amami frowned deeply at the news. If Kagami already had accepted his fate, not pushing himself further like he normally would, then it must really mean the shoulder was foobar. She hated it, to her it felt like all of this was in vain. She didn't want to say those thoughts out loud however, she still had _some_ tact left in her today. “I'm sorry to hear that.. you seemed like you were having fun over there.” She wisely opted to say instead.

Kagami looked up at her and huffed lightly amused. “I was.. it felt amazing. To succeed in fulfilling your childhood dream. To stand among the heroes you've adored, to play with or against them. The stadium full of basketball crazed fans cheering you on while you're playing games of epic proportions.. It was.. really amazing.” He fondly gazed at nothing in particular, clearly reliving those moments.

She noticed and immediately found her unwanted answer. To him, it was worth it. Meanwhile she had already accepted a year ago that for her, it clearly wasn't. She loved her job, she loved the thrill it gave her when a new project started. Enjoying the moments when her work was done successfully and people were satisfied, profits were made.. But she knew that deep down inside, to her, it wasn't worth the pain she had endured for all those years. A bittersweet smile curled on her lips as the pain started to show up. “It showed.. Kotarou adored you with the very first lane up he saw you pull off..”

“Is that so? That explains why he is the only kid that isn't scared of me.. Though I've got to ask.. why 'Bunny-chan' of all the things you could've named me.. like something more.. manly?” He asked with a smile, noticing the mood from the woman worsening by the minute. He wanted to cheer her up, even just a little.

Amami looked mortified at the question. “I..ehm, well it wasn't me, exactly. You see.. Kazu was there.. and you were jumping around, you know..” She mumbled almost incoherently as she tried to explain. It was when she heard Kagami's warm chuckle that she looked up at the man. The pleasant sound she hadn't heard for so long made her focus on the man entirely, her heart skipping a beat. 'Yep, he still has that effect on me..' Noting to herself before trying to explain once more, but better. “Kotarou was amazed by your jumps when he first saw you. Kazu-chan and Mido-kun happened to be there watching along as well. Before I knew it Kazu was telling Ko-chan that your name was an animal. So I assumed he was going to tell him your name was tiger or something.. Instead he asked my nephew what animal he thought jumped a lot where the boy of course replied that a bunny did. Needless to say Kazu was an immediate fan and told him your name was Bunny-chan. I tried to explain that it wasn't the case.. but they wouldn't listen.. You know how Kazu is.. every time I corrected Ko-chan, Kazu would call you Bunny-chan twice just to mess with you.” She concluded, realizing that it was the first time today she had talked so long, to her bewilderment.

Kagami stared wordlessly at the woman next to her. A small moment of silence passed before he erupted in loud laughter. “Takao still hates me huh? Man.. even after all this time. I guess it's still an improvement from the punch I received, so I'll accept it.” He rubbed the back of his head a little absently before resting his arm on the back of the couch, making sure to keep a respectable distance between them.

“Punch..? Did Kazu.. _punch_ you?” Amami asked him, making sure she hadn't tumbled into an alternate universe for a small moment. Takao was never the violent type, never gotten into any fights that she knew of. Sure he would threaten when he's really angry, but actually owning up to the words and doing it? That didn't sound like her friend at all. He was all bark, no bite really and even the 'barking' didn't happen a lot. Takao was quite a peaceful man anyway. This is why Amami was staring at Kagami, not sure whether he was joking or not now.

“Oh.. he didn't tell you? Yeah, he has a mean hook, you know.. Aomine kept laughing at me afterwards.. that aho.. In the end, it's no surprise, he did warn me in high school, giving me the typical 'you hurt my sister, I break your legs' kind of speech..” Kagami explained, surprised that Takao didn't tell Amami about his small victory over him.

Amami's eyes had widened at the revelation, never suspecting any of that had transpired back then. She only stared at Kagami, who seemingly wasn't making any of it up. “I see..” She honestly didn't know what to make of this, nor did she really feel like delving into those feelings of the past right now. Not wanting to think about him telling her he'd be leaving for America, her not following him. It still left her with a bitter taste after all this while.

“Sorry.” Kagami spoke up, guessing the thoughts going through her mind weren't of the pleasant kind to earn him such forlorn expression and answer. “I thought it would cheer you up if I told you I got sucker punched by Takao. It's just..” 'Just what.. weird for her to be so lost with all that had been happening lately?' He mentally finished, chiding himself for not being able to make it clear to her that he didn't like this defeated aura around her. Sure Kagami himself wasn't known to give up, no matter what, earning respect from others because of that trait. But Amami wasn't any less than that either. Sensing that any obstacle along the way was just something she had to conquer before moving on, the difficulties just strengthening her. Seeing her like this, was hurting him, which earned him a lot more questions towards himself than he cared to think about right now. Questions like what the woman meant for him, even now, after all this time. Didn't he move on in America already? Sure he thought of her every once in a while when he was fulfilling his dream there. He just figured the numbness in his heart was the wound she had left slowly healing. Was he perhaps over thinking this? Perhaps he just simply cared for the woman. She was always special to him since she was his first love.

Confusion lingered in Amami's expression, not really understanding what Kagami was trying to say. She smiled however, understanding at least that he wanted to cheer her up, which inadvertently, made her feel better. “I appreciate the sentiment, Kagami. It's just today.. today was hard on me and my entire family. I don't think anything would brighten up my day right now.” She weakly explained, the smile slowly withering away.

Kagami's fingers that were still resting on the back of the couch twitched. He wanted to reach out to her, comfort her like he always had done but he stopped himself. Knowing it wasn't his job anymore.

Amami noticed the small twitch, it was like every little move the man made was linked to all of her senses. So aware of the presence next to her, the very same she'd been yearning to touch and hold for so many years. He was so tantalizing close to her that she felt she was being swallowed whole. She wanted the man to hold her, show her everything was going to be alright, but it didn't happen. 'Of course it wouldn't end up anything like that..' She internally rolled her eyes at herself for thinking such thoughts. This was getting dangerous for her and she knew she had to leave this place quickly. Checking her watch she noticed it had been getting late meanwhile, granting her the excuse to leave. “I think I should be going home.. Is there anything else I can help you with before I go?” She mustered, albeit a little weakly.

“Ah.. ehm, no I should be fine, thanks. Are you.. will you be alright, Seo?” Kagami was taken aback by the sudden change of the woman who now seemed dead set on leaving this place.

Amami finished her cup of tea before looking a little bit over his shoulder, not wanting to meet his piercing gaze. “I'll be alright, thanks for inviting me over. Get better soon..” She nodded towards the shoulder wrapped snugly in the sling before she stood up and briskly made her way towards the hallway. “Good night, Kagami..” She offered before stepping outside, disappearing from his sight entirely.

Kagami was still seated on the couch. In the blink of an eye the woman had offered him some excuse and made herself scarce. It happened so fast that he couldn't come up with anything better to say or do. His posterior slumped when he realized she was already gone.

They both ended up spending the rest of the night all by themselves. Having bumped into each other left so many unanswered questions and unspoken feelings that they needed their time to try and figure things out. They also had their own problems going on asides those, so it was eventually for the best that they took a breather from each other to get their thoughts straight.


	27. Chapter 27

It had been two weeks ever since that fateful night, which had given Amami the much needed time to calm the tempest of emotions that were swirling inside. She sure needed it since Kotarou was an almost constant presence in her life now and she needed her full concentration to raise a kid all by herself. 

Never had she found so much awe for single mothers working two to three jobs to make ends meet. She was relieved she had her career, granting her a decent salary to sustain the two of them. It was hard however, her parents kept telling her to use the money that Kotarou had inherited from his parents and from the house and possessions sold, to buy herself a bigger place to live. Perhaps hire someone to make life easier on herself by cleaning up her place, or the mundane chores that went with living by yourself. She of course wouldn't hear any of it. She was a strong independent woman and if all those single mothers could do so much more than her, she wouldn't show weakness and rise to the occasion instead. The money, after all, was Kotarou's. She would put it on the bank safely and once the boy reached the age of 18 give it to him to do whatever he wanted to do with it.

She could do this, no matter how much other people started to doubt her. That asides, it was getting hard sometimes, the pressure at her work had been increasing lately. She had an inkling that the recent change of Kashima's attitude towards her had something to do with it, but wisely decided not to speak up. It did leave her in an almost constant rush of stress and adrenaline as she was juggling her responsibilities, making sure not to drop any of them. 

It was working out somehow, thankfully Kotarou was quickly adapting to their routine. He showed less tantrums and even though he clearly still missed his parents, he showed signs that he was healing steadily. The love he was being given by his aunt, family and friends surely being the main reason for that. All of that considering, he was an easy child. He was sweet, gentle and polite making Amami realize just how lucky she really was with her nephew.

They slowly moved on as their wounds healed, together. They laughed more and more and enjoyed each other's presence whenever they could. It was nice, something she wouldn't have expected, not so fast at least, but it was a welcome feeling.

She now stood in Kuroko's classroom with a bright smile on her lips as she saw her nephew playing around with his friends, showing his aunt their castle they had made earlier. Their enthusiasm so infectious that she eventually joined them and started to goof around on the floor. Not giving a damn with what the mothers or Kuroko would think. 

Kuroko who fondly looked upon the children and Amami playing around couldn't help but recognize bits and pieces of the old Seo he used to know. The playful, witty and bubbly girl sidling up with her partner in crime, Takao. Full of mischief as they plotted anything towards their unsuspecting victim, which in most cases ended up being Midorima. It was a welcome sight even if it were still small fragments. It was still there and it was slowly emerging once more.

“You can't escape the fart monster, come here!” Amami choked out as she pulled her nephew closer, lifted his shirt and blew a raspberry on the plump belly of the toddler. 

Kotarou started to squeal in high-pitched noises, the tickling making his legs kick around. “Noo.. aah, it tickles haha.. stop a-auntiehahaha!”

“Are you surrendering?” Amami looked up from his belly, a smug smile across her lips.

It's when the boy wanted to object that she heard her phone ring. “Hold on Ko-chan.. I need to accept this call..” She tried to calm down an over hyped boy as she dug into her purse, answering the call.

“Kashima-san? Yes.. I'm at the kindergarten. ..Right now? I can't.. I need to.. Yes I know but.. Look I won't be able to find a babysitter so fast.. let me do this tomorrow morning. What.. oh for cryi-- I'll try alright, but I can't promise anything.” She huffed as she closed the call, immediately tapping away and making other calls. The playful air had vanished entirely during that conversation. Another meeting that suddenly moved up because it was more convenient for others and now she had twenty minutes to find someone to take care of her nephew for the rest of the night. This was not going to end well if she couldn't find anyone.

Kuroko could only look as the aunt was calling various people, pleading them to help her out but it seemed no matter how much they had wanted to, they weren't able to, being busy with their own lives. He noticed Amami becoming more frantic as she was trying to figure out how to fix her predicament. “Excuse me..” He started next to her, which made her jump up in surprise. Kuroko ignored that and continued. “I could perhaps help you..”

“R-Really? Would you take care of Kotarou tonight for me?” She hopefully jumped, instantly forgiving the man for scaring her.

“Well.. I wouldn't put it like that.. I have an appointment at the doctor tonight since Hiyori is a little sick right now, but.. I know someone who could help you instead.” He declared, knowing the woman didn't really have much choice in the matter if she wanted to make it in time for her meeting without having to worry about her nephew.

“Kuroko-kun, if this person has basic life skills so I'm sure nothing bad will happen to Kotarou, it'll be a life-saver, please!” She pleaded the man to help her out, really desperate as she felt the time quickly running out for her.

“Very well, I will call Kagami-kun and tell him to come over as fast as possible. Leave your keys and address here and he'll take Kotarou-chan home.” He said, not even pausing to check the expression of the woman as he was already on his phone.

“W-Wait.. Kagami..? But..” She panicked but looked at Kotarou who had been listening,she noticed the smile on his face becoming bigger at the mention of Kagami. She sighed deeply and could only hope that Kagami would say no.

“He said yes.” Kuroko stated, closing the call ever so casually. He couldn't help but show some smugness on the usual blank face of his which earned him a foul scowl from the woman. But as he thought before; she is in no position to reject the idea. 

“Bunny-chan is coming?!” Kotarou exclaimed enthusiastically, already bouncing all over the classroom with happiness at the prospect of his favorite celebrity spending time with him.

**************

Kagami pushed the key into the lock of the unfamiliar door, fumbling a little as he was not used to the quirks of said lock. When he finally managed to open the door he looked with triumph towards the little one who was clutching the fabric of Kagami's jeans. “There we go.. alright, let's see what we got here..”

Kotarou practically ran inside the moment the door was open enough, making Kagami follow him into the hallway. “We're home~!”

Kagami smiled at the toddler's enthusiasm, he felt the warmth of the homily gesture radiate from him. “Alright, let's get your shoes off quickly.” It felt a little awkward when he crouched down and clumsily started to fidget with the straps of the kid's shoes. 

Kagami had no experience whatsoever with taking care of children, most likely because children started to cry once they took a look at him. He was still surprised that Kotarou didn't seem to share that fear for the man, which thankfully made things a lot easier on him. Frankly, if he could manage to keep the boy away from any harm, feed him properly and not have him cry tonight, that would be quite the achievement. 

He still didn't know what came over him when he agreed to taking care of Kotarou. One moment he was chilling in front of his tv, the other he was already on his way towards kindergarten to pick Kotarou up. Maybe it was the way Kuroko had 'asked' him, he always had this manipulative way, forcing people into doing things they normally wouldn't do. That or it was because it was Amami who seemed to be in a pickle. He guessed that he wanted to repay her for helping him out that one night. Who knows? “Sorry for the intrusion..” He mumbled when they entered the living room.

The evening had actually gone quite well. He had placed Kotarou in front of the tv with some toys while he whisked up dinner from the ingredients in the fridge. The boy had seemed to love his cooking and enjoyed helping Bunny-chan out with telling him where auntie Seo kept certain utensils. Bath-time went a little less successful since Kagami wasn't sure of what he was doing 99% of the time. After a while of fumbling with the temperature of the water he did finally make Kotarou happy and started washing him while the toddler was merrily splashing away in the water. They only had two minor soap-in-eye accidents, but Kotarou seemed to still adore his idol nonetheless.

Kagami wasn't sure when he had to put Kotarou in bed, there was simply no time for the woman to leave detailed guidelines since she was in such a hurry, forcing Kagami to simply wing it. He decided to watch some tv, knowing that the activity always made himself sleepy.

“Let's watch games, Bunny-chan!” Kotarou energetically yelled out, already hogging the remote controller. After some messy taps and a little guidance of Kagami, Kotarou found what he was looking for in the menu.

Kagami saw an entire list of recorded games of the NBA. Matter of fact, when he looked a little closer he noticed they were all games of his team. He felt some emotion stir inside of him, he never expected any of this. He was sure that, whenever he would return from America, that she would've moved on from him. Enjoy her career, found a man, perhaps have a child already. After all, it had been so many years since they broke up, it would've been normal, right? The woman had kept surprising him with how wrong he was. She still had her career, but other than that she didn't seem to be in any sort of relationship, that he would know of. Then of course her nephew she is now the guardian of. 

He still remembered talking with Kuroko on Skype when he told Kagami the news of his new student. He remembered how suddenly empty he felt when he read her name. He was so sure in that moment that this was the evidence that she indeed had moved on. It became clear quite fast, it wasn't as it all seemed however, which made him feel things he didn't suspect.

Was he truly over the woman? He had thought that spending this much time in America had helped him to get over her. He had hurt deeply at the beginning and kept missing her, but as time progressed, those feelings slowly numbed down. He figured that was a sign he was moving on, at least that's what his friends and family kept telling him. Hell even Aomine seemed to start pushing him to start dating. _“All those women lining up for you and you won't go for it? You're an idiot..”_ He always gave them the excuse that he simply didn't have any time for that, he was enjoying his career in NBA. Having a girlfriend would be too much hassle anyway.

“Let's pick this one!” Kotarou hit the play button on a random game of his, pulling the man from his musings.

“Sure..” He said while adjusting himself in a more comfortable position. He felt a little weird watching his own game but the boy seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it.

Meanwhile Kotarou shuffled closer towards Bunny-chan, who was now apparently his new best friend. Especially once Kagami started to commentate on the plays, since he was sure the toddler didn't understand English, nor able to read the subtitles.

Kagami chuckled when he saw how the toddler hung on every word he said. He was pretty sure the boy didn't understand some of the typical jargon he was spewing, but it didn't seem to matter. It flattered him that the kid seemed to be having some sort of hero worship for him.

Towards the end of the third quarter the boy had become really sleepy. His eyes drooping and yawning more than occasionally. Kagami figured that it was perhaps time he'd put the kid to bed. “Come on, Kotarou, let's get you into bed..” He nudged the boy gently and motioned towards the hallway with his thumb. They quickly made work of brushing his teeth and changing into his pj's before heading towards the child's bedroom.

“Will you read me a bedtime story, Bunny-chan?” His light brown eyes lit up as if he suddenly found a new stash of energy inside of him, which surprised the man.

“O-Oh.. erh.. read? I thought you were sleepy, don't you want to sleep?” He stammered nervously. A bedtime story? He was a grown man, he wasn't fit for reading the boy a bedtime story... He'd probably mess it up anyway, kanji never was his strong point and having spent so many years back in America he had forgotten some of it _again_.

“Please, Bunny-chan?” Kotarou's eyes became bigger and started to glace over a little. “Auntie Seo always reads me a story before I go to sleep..” His bottom lip jutted out a little when he pleaded Kagami.

“Right, okay.. how hard can it be, huh?” He instantly gave in, mentally cursing himself for being weak towards the toddler. “Please.. don't cry, okay?” 

Moments later Kotarou was tucked under his blanket with Kagami awkwardly sitting on the edge of the bed. He kept staring at the book that was pushed into his hands, noticing the words weren't so hard to read after all. Maybe it was because it was a children's book, but he didn't want to think of that fact, his pride wouldn't allow him. “Once upon a time..” He started.

“Noooooo, not like that Bunny-chan! You need to play with the toys too!” Kotarou huffed annoyed as he pointed towards the small figurines he meanwhile had spread out on the blanket.

Kagami owlishly blinked at the array of toys in front of him, in awe that he hadn't noticed the toddler to have placed them there. “P-Play?!” He had a small inkling of what the boy was trying to instigate but wasn't sure if he were up to it, reading a bedtime story was one thing, playing with toys during, was another..

“Oh! Let's play with auntie Seo's toy!” Kotarou was already climbing out of his bed, motioning for Kagami to follow him. “Come Bunny-chan, it's in her room. Don't tell auntie Seo, I'm not allowed to play with it.” He pulled the sleeve of Kagami's sweater as he pushed his way inside Amami's bedroom.

“Wha-? Wait, Kotarou if your auntie says you shouldn't..” His eyes became saucers when he saw the toddler run straight towards the drawer of her nightstand. 'Is this kid serious?! Please don't tell me it's one of _those_ toys..' “Kotarou don't--!” He lunged forwards, trying to stop the toddler from opening the drawer but it was too late.

“Look, auntie Seo's toy! It even moves!”

He heard Kotarou exclaim with glee, his face planted on the mattress below him from the dive he took not a moment earlier. Miraculously avoiding hurting his shoulder with the impact. He really didn't want to look up and face whatever 'toy' his auntie had lying in her nightstand drawer, but after some giggles of the boy he decided to at least save the toddler's innocence by putting it back where it belonged. “Alright Kotarou, give me your auntie's.. toy.., we need to put it back.”

“Look, it wiggles!” He pushes the toy upwards for the man to see who was now cringing and bracing himself for an awkward encounter with said device.

He opened one eye and looked down at the small hand holding the object up for Kagami to see. He would've never expected to see what he did now. “Wha.. Kaga-chan?”

Yup, in the flesh.. well not really. It was Kaga-chan, the sumo-wrestling bobble-head he gave Amami when they were in high school. It looked a bit paler and was clearly missing the pie he used to hold. But he recognized it immediately nonetheless. He thought she had thrown the thing out after they broke up. Ever since Midorima gave him the broken off piece he had suspected that, but now he was simply staring at the sumo-wrestler, enthusiastically munching.. nothing.

“You know Kaga-chan too?!” The toddler piped up, clearly impressed with his hero's knowledge.

“Ah.. yeah.. I gave your auntie.. Kaga-chan, when we were kids..” He held the toy in his hand, smoothing his fingers over its surface while getting lost in thought. Memories started to flood him at an intense speed making them all blurry in his mind, his gaze slowly sinking when he clenched the toy a little tighter, feeling the sharp edges where the pie was broken off dig into his skin.

“You can be the dragon and I'll be Kaga-chan then!” The boy cheered before he started towards the door again, not noticing Kagami's morose look.

“R-Right..” Kagami weakly uttered before following the boy once more into his bedroom.

Kagami picked himself back together when he sat down on the edge of the bed, wanting to get rid of these extra emotions, at least until he was sure the boy was fast asleep.

They played, re-enacting whatever the story was throwing at them with the figurines. Kagami felt awkward to be schooled by the little one on how to 'act' better, using special voices to make it more entertaining. In the end he just shrugged it off and went with it, Kotarou seemed to be enjoying it nonetheless and it was a welcome distraction.

That was until the boy had fallen asleep. Now Kagami sat in the living room with Kaga-chan on the table in front of him. The room was dimly lit, only the light of the moon casting a broad stripe of light through the window.

What was all of this supposed to mean? Did she keep these things to remind herself of good times? Bad times?! Was this some sort of warning? Or was it that she wanted to keep it close as some sort of keepsake of what once was? Was that it? Was she holding onto Kaga-chan as some sort of souvenir? No.. that can't be.. Amami wasn't like that, besides, wasn't he the same then? What about all those games she seem to have recorded, were those only for sheer entertainment for her nephew? He was sure that the boy would've been impressed by other teams as well, so why only his team? Because of him? Had she really decided to watch all of his games together with her nephew?

There were so many questions rising that he started to feel a headache coming up. Kagami never was someone who was good with sorting out his thoughts. It was quite the opposite, whenever he had nothing to do but to think about things, he would drive himself crazy. Perhaps they were right when they called him Bakagami.. the idiot.. never good when he was thinking. It's why he was looking forward to play basketball again. That way he could keep himself distracted, not having to face slumbering emotions that would torment him the moment he let his guard down.

*Knock knock*

His train of thoughts halted as he heard someone knock on the front door. He immediately jumped and moved towards it, not wanting the noise to wake up Kotarou. When he opened the door he found a worn out Amami standing in front of him.

“Hey..” He weakly greeted her, still in a slight daze of it all and now being forced to deal with the real thing so suddenly.

“Hi..” She softly smiled, not noticing the vagrant look in his eyes.

They just stared at each other for a moment, not sure what to say. They hadn't seen each other since that one rainy afternoon.

“Can I.. come in?” She weakly chuckled, slightly feeling awkward at having to ask the man if she could enter her own place.

“Oh.. right, of course.” He quickly jumped aside, making room for the woman to enter.

It's when she entered the living room that she turned around towards him and spoke up. “Thank you for helping me tonight. You have no idea how much you saved me with that.” She bowed her gratitude before she looked up again, showing him a sincere but tired smile.

“Ah.. no. It was no big deal. I mean.. you helped me too last time, right? Guess I owed you.. for it..” He scratched his cheek, unsure of what to say. He didn't want to admit that it was actually a big deal, not effort wise from his side., but the lack of experience of taking care of a child scaring him more. He'd gladly do it again, if that meant helping someone out though.

“Right.. that night..” Her smile faltered a little. 'Of course, he's just repaying me for the ride I gave him back then. How naive of me to think otherwise.'

“Anyway, there are some leftovers from dinner. I figured you'd be hungry when you got home, you can just reheat it..” Kagami fiddled with the strap of his sling a little, not wanting to look at her, ever since that smile weakened a little.

“Thanks..” She faked a smile and looked towards the corner of the room towards the small shrine of her brother and sister in law.

“Ah yeah, Kotarou told me I had to place some food for.. your brother and his wife.. I don't know if I did right..?” Kagami stuttered nervously, remembering the boy telling him that he and his aunt always shared some of their food with his parents. Frankly he had already forgotten about those traditions, having lived so many years in America.

“Thank you.” Amami spoke up with a more sincere smile that belied the watery emerald eyes of hers. “You did fine.. how is he?” She offered, wanting to put the man at ease.

“Ah, he's asleep. He's been really helpful, telling me how to do things and such.. most of the time I didn't know how to handle things.. But it worked out fine.. I think.” He ranted a little quickly, suddenly feeling interviewed.

“Heh.. sorry about that. Ko-chan has this tendency to have things his way, I guess I spoil him a bit..” She said while she was heating up the leftovers in her microwave.

'No no! Like I said, it was helpful, he's a nice kid.” He smiled, putting the woman at ease.

She returned from the kitchen with a bowl of food and made her way towards the couch. It's then that she noticed Kaga-chan standing on the coffee table. She almost dropped the bowl on the ground when she realized the meaning behind this. “Did you go through my stuff?!” She knew that the man was going to rifle through some of her belongings, since that wasn't to be avoided when he had to take care of Kotarou, but Kaga-chan was in her bedroom. That meant he had been snooping in her bedroom where he, frankly, didn't belong.

“Wha..? No! I mean.. well kind of? Your nephew started talking about your toy and wanted to play with it! I couldn't stop him in time, so before I knew it he was already pushing Kaga-chan in my hand. I didn't mean to enter your bedroom, Seo.” Kagami raised his good hand in immediate surrender at the accusation, having noticed the sudden change in her demeanor that simply screamed 'I am not happy with this.'

Amami wasn't thinking straight at this point, she always had this tendency to turn into an unreasonable monster when one of her fuses went off. She couldn't help it, she already had a shitty evening when Kashima tried to constantly one-up her, undermining her abilities. Even after she frantically looked for someone to babysit Kotarou on such short notice and succeeded for _his_ sake. It didn't help that the source of some of the heartache she had these past years was the one who helped her with this situation. Now she was confronted with Kaga-chan and it made her feel embarrassed and guilty on top of all the stress and nerves she had been enduring today. It was of no surprise she turned towards the ugly side of herself and immediately snapped at the man. “How dare you? You had no right to enter my bedroom. It's private! And stop calling me by my first name, you don't have that right anymore!” She was seething, but hurting more than that. He wasn't supposed to see that, he wasn't even supposed to be here for that fact. She felt so vulnerable under his scrutiny that she couldn't take it anymore.

Kagami was about to apologize for going through her stuff and about to explain once more that it was Kotarou who grabbed the toy, not him. He had no intention whatsoever to snoop around her place, he has _some_ boundaries. All of that halted in his throat when he heard her forbid Kagami to call her by her first name. “Oh right, because _I_ am the one who broke up with you, right? _I'm_ the boogieman that up and left _you_ , so I am the one who has no right to call you that.. “ He bitterly growled back at her, doing his best to keep his voice down. It hurt him when she was accusing him of such petty things and now this?

“I-.. it's not like that at all and you know it! I don't care if you're used to American customs now, but here in Japan we don't call each other by our first names so easily!” She stammered, not sure what she was saying anymore. Internally she was pleading herself to stop talking, she didn't mean any of what she was saying. He had caught her off guard with the sumo-wrestler and completely lost it.

“Isn't it?! You have a funny way of expressing yourself then. But fine, I'll respect your wishes, _Amami_ , since you're so set on that. God knows it was only you who suffered, right? _You_ broke up with _me_ , Amami, remember? You're the one who didn't want to try. Y-You...” He heaved in sheer anger, he could barely restrain himself when all of the pain from the past suddenly washed over him. Suddenly being reminded of all the pain and suffering that he endured when she gave up on him.

Amami winced at the way he hissed her last name, filled with venom. Never had she seen him so angry about anything and that meant a lot since he'd always been a hothead. 'Please stop, I'm sorry.. I didn't mean it like that.' Her brain supplied helpfully, but her mouth didn't follow up on it. “Don't think that I don't know that..! But you hardly gave me any choice back then! You cornered me, giving me only one option which was the only option I didn't want back then!”

'Back then?' “What's that even supposed to mean? What is _all_ of this supposed to mean?! Kaga-chan? Your recorder full of my games? The necklace you're still wearing. You helping me out previous time? Calling me Bunny-chan and trusting me with your nephew tonight? If you hate me so much why go through such lengths then? Or are those all things to remind you that you made the wrong decision back then? That you should've picked Akashi instead?!” His chest was rising heavily as he fisted his hands in anger, the anger roiling in his stomach like a volcano about to burst.

Amami's attention snapped up, almost making her dizzy when he asked her about the wrong decision. She immediately thought of _her_ bad decision, which was not to follow him to America. She didn't expect him to say anything about Akashi however, where the hell did that even come from? “Aka-- What does he even have to do with any of this?! I did all of that because I can't let you go! The only wrong decision in my entire life was not following you!” 'Fuck, Seo stop talking please..' She begged herself, not wanting to say these things. She had no right to do so. “I tried, believe me.. I-I tried to forget you, ..convince myself that it was your decision. But you seemed so _fucking happy_ on tv! I was jealous because you were having the time of your life while I was a train wreck. It was..” '..all my fault.' The words didn't come out. Of all times _now_ it stopped talking, she felt like crying, which is apparently what she was doing already.

Kagami's eyes widened as he took in what she was saying. He noticed she had started to cry in the middle of her rant, but ignored it. He was too caught up with the words she was saying which left him speechless. He stepped forwards, wanting to calm her down, not caring if she would continue to lash out to him.

All of that got halted by the toddler who was standing sleepily in the doorway of the living room. “Auntie Seo, what's wrong?”

Both gazes snapped towards Kotarou who was blinking owlishly, rubbing his fist into his eye.

“Fu-” Amami stopped herself in time and started to furiously rub the tears away and walked up towards Kotarou in big strides, plastering a very brittle smile on her face. “I'm sorry Ko-chan, did I wake you up?” She hugged the boy, fully aware that she did.

“Are you mad at Bunny-chan because we played with Kaga-chan?” His eyes were looking up to her, the fear so clear in them.

“N-No..! We were..-” She cursed herself as she was lying. Oh the irony, him playing with Kaga-chan was what indeed had triggered the fight. But it wasn't because of him.. by far. She didn't know what to say however. “Sorry for waking you up, sweetie. Why don't you say goodnight to Kagami-kun, he was just about to leave.” She placed a kiss on his forehead, trying to soothe the boy in front of her and ushered him a little to a still baffled Kagami standing behind her.

The boy hesitated, feeling something was off but hobbled towards Kagami anyway. “Goodnight, Bunny-chan!” He sleepily clutched the leg of the man, embracing it until he felt an awkward hand ruffling his hair.

“Y-Yeah.. goodnight.. Kotarou..” He uttered sheepishly, watching the boy walk back towards his bedroom with his aunt in tow.

It didn't take Amami long to get Kotarou back in bed since the boy was too tired to ask too many questions. She did her best to occupy his mind with the fun things he did that night until he finally fell asleep. 

She walked back towards the living room, in need to be alone to calm herself. It's when she entered the living room that she noticed Kagami hadn't taken the hint at all and was sitting on the couch, staring at Kaga-chan. She mentally cursed, why couldn't he just leave them? She had said so many things and regretted _all_ of them. She had promised herself not to say anything about her feelings towards the man. She didn't have the right to do so. She didn't want his pity either. She wanted to thank him for helping her out tonight, have some small talk before he'd go home so she could crawl into her own bed. 

She stood there frozen in the middle of her living room, not sure on what to do or say anymore. It's not like she was going to do the right thing anyway, her body had made sure to have done the opposite so far. Why stop now, huh?

“We were both wrong.. back then..” He almost whispered, granting him her attention instantly. “I-I should've listened to what you were trying to say.. You shouldn't have given up so quickly.. But what's done is done, right? No point in dwelling over the past..” He hadn't moved a muscle, he just sat there, staring at Kaga-chan while his voice sounded so defeated and weak.

“I guess you're right.. no point indeed..” She felt so emotionally drained that she didn't have the energy nor will to move. All she could do was stare at the slumped over shoulders of the man residing on her couch.

“Right..” He thumbed the figurine absentmindedly, still refusing to turn around.

“Kagami--?” She started after a profound moment of silence, but stopped herself. She suddenly wasn't so sure what she was trying to ask the man.

“Yeah..?” He briefly turned his head slightly so he could look at her from over his shoulder.

She felt so weak when she looked him in the eye for that small moment. “Never mind.” She sighed deeply but decided to sit next to him on the couch, keeping enough room between them.

Kagami couldn't help but look at the woman next to him. The strong, independent woman looked so fragile and tired right now, a sight he wasn't familiar with. He instantly thought about her brother and sister in law and realized that life couldn't have been easy for her. Losing both of them so suddenly and having to take care of their son, who was a constant reminder of the ones she had lost. That combined with working her ass off, he didn't know anything of her work, but he did know that Amami never did things halfhearted. She always gave it her all and it seemed she was still doing so, even now. It worried him, he knew a person can only handle so much until they hit the breaking point and he had a faint suspicion she was nearing hers.

As if she read his mind, she suddenly started to sob. She tried to stop herself, not wanting to show him this vulnerable side again, but here she was, trying to stop the floodgate in vain, just like that one time in her car when she heard that sad song. Back then she composed herself and told herself to fix things with her brother, promising herself not to leave things as she did with Kagami. But what good was it, in the end? He was gone now and now she's fucking things up even worse with Kagami. She was so caught up in her own grief that she didn't fight the warm embrace around her. The familiar arm hugging her tightly. She simply leaned into his touch and cried her heart out, since that was the only thing she could do for now.


	28. Chapter 28

Weeks have passed since they saw each other. That night he had remained by her side, holding her while she was slowly breaking apart in his arms. They hadn't spoken a lot after, it was still too awkward so they decided to let their actions speak for themselves. Amami would've offered him a ride back home if it weren't for Kotarou, Kagami sensed she was in much need for some sleep as well. He also needed some time to think and a brisk walk would help clear his mind a little. A lot had been said that night, a lot of emotions were shown. He knew some of those were sincere and some of them were just thrown in the heat of the moment, he just had to figure out where they stood.

Which is what they've both been doing for almost a month. The small abrupt text on the second of November from Kagami to wish Amami a happy birthday was the only form of communication they had during that period. Her face showed surprise initially but was immediately replaced with a fond smile as she replied her thanks before Takao decided to tease her. The party had been small, she basically invited her friends and family over to her apartment and decided to celebrate her becoming twenty six rather calmly.

That had happened two weeks ago. Now she was standing on an empty basketball court, shivering a little as cold wind whipped across her face.

_“Kuroko-sensei plays basketball too? Uwaah, I want to play too~!” Kotarou beamed at the revelation of his teacher._

_“Well why don't you then? Next weekend me and some old friends will be seeing each other to play a little. Why don't you ask your aunt to come pay us a visit, that way you can watch us play and perhaps join us.” Kuroko smiled as he noticed the toddler's eyes widen with anticipation._

_“Is Bunny-chan going to come too?” The boy clenched the stuffed toy in his hands, looking perhaps a bit too hopeful. It was clear the boy had missed seeing his hero for almost a month._

_“Especially Bunny-chan, but Akashi-kun will be there too. Maybe some other friends as well, it'll be fun.” Kuroko fondly thought about seeing his old teammates once more. It had been so long since they all gathered up to play together. Not everyone was going to join them next weekend, but it's an improvement. “But you'll have to convince your auntie first, Kotarou-chan.” Kuroko told the toddler with an almost conspirative smile._

_“Okay!” He beamed up, dead set on getting his aunt to agree._

“I guess we're a little early, Ko-chan. We'll have to wait for the rest to join us.” She voiced out, internally wishing Takao, Midorima or Akashi would be there first to make things a little less awkward.

“We can already play, auntie Seo!” The toddler pointed towards the small basketball they had bought earlier today. It was a children's version of a basketball with bright colors, the size significantly smaller.

Amami had noticed how crazed her nephew had become for basketball so she figured it wouldn't hurt to buy him one of those. He showed her the brightest smile she'd ever seen so far when they were standing in the store, so it was well worth it.

“Oooh~ do you think you can take me on Ko-chan?” She grinned as she grabbed the ball from the bag and started to dribble the ball. She wasn't very experienced to begin with, but the fact she hadn't touched a ball for so long made her wince as the ball almost fled her grip. She merely coughed awkwardly and motioned for the boy to join her on the court.

“Uhn!” A look of determination streaked the boy's expression before he darted towards his aunt.

They played together a little, giggling as they passed the ball towards each other. Amami noticed the boy glance at the ring occasionally, sensing the boy's wish. 

“Do you want to try and score the ball, Ko-chan?” She kept the ball firmly in her hand as she looked at the net, contemplating.

“Can I?” Looking at the net with doubt, since it was so high.

“Won't know until we try, right?” She smirked at the boy before handing him the ball. She walked behind him and looked down at her nephew in front of her. “Wanna try?”

Kotarou could only nod in anticipation, suddenly a little nervous at the prospect of trying said action.

Amami chuckled at the display. “Alright, here we go..!” She picked the toddler up from under his armpits and raised him as high as she could while he was holding the ball.

An image of her holding a little girl in a frilly pink dress flitted through her thoughts. 'Right, the wedding..' She instantly recognized the action she had done before, making her hesitate for a moment before a small fond smile made its way back. 

“Higher, auntie Seo!” He yelped out as he was dangling in the air

“Hng.. alright.. let me.. see.” She clenched her teeth a little at the strain on her arms when she clutched the boy firmer in her grasp and made a jump, successfully putting the toddler closer towards the ring.

“Hyaa!” Kotarou threw the ball towards the basket. It hit the ring several times before the ball fell out. Leaving the both a little disappointed in its wake.

“Aww.. well, let's try ag--” Amami started until she got interrupted.

“Oooh, that's a very pretty ball!”

The two immediately snapped their attention towards the man who was spinning their ball on his finger. Amami's lips parted in awe.

“Yo!” The familiar looking man spoke up again before he started to dribble a little with the ball.

“Kise-kun? Is that you?” Amami had to take a closer look at the man, since the man was surely going out of his way to hide as much of his face as he can with ridiculous large glasses and a cap on his head. Strands of blonde locks peeping from underneath it.

“In the flesh, but.. I'd prefer if you wouldn't call out my name so loudly though..” He scratched the back of his head a little sheepishly before taking a glance around to check if people had heard them.

“Right, of course, fan girls and all.” She smiled, still taking in the beautiful man who hadn't seemed to have aged since he was sixteen.

Kotarou stood behind Amami, clutching her leg as he peeked from behind it towards the intruding stranger.

“Ko-chan, this is Kise-kun. An old friend of Kuroko-sensei and Kagami-kun. He also plays basketball. Kise-kun, this is my nephew Kotarou and also a student of Kuroko-kun.” She quickly introduced, sensing the unease of her nephew.

“Oh, I heard all about you, Ko-cchi, nice to meet you!” Kise bent over a little to face Kotarou who was still standing behind Amami's leg.

“...” Kotarou looked upwards towards Amami, clutching the leg a little tighter.

Kise was surprised to see the toddler so shy, having heard of his tolerance of Kagami who was famous for making any child in a large radius around him cry. He went to sit on his haunches, trying to look a little bit less intimidating and tried to wave gently at the toddler. “I've heard you love playing basketball, are you here to play with us today?” He tried again.

“Y-Yes..” Kotarou managed to mumble, shuffling behind his aunt for cover.

Amami was baffled to see her nephew like this. The boy who had immediately grown a liking towards Kagami, puked on Akashi and stole Midorima's red bean soup, was now afraid of Kise. The only one of the Miracle gang who looked the least intimidating, even quite the opposite. “Kise-kun is a nice pers--” 

“There's my favorite nephew!” The voice of Takao burst through the air, making the boy instantly turn towards him.

“Uncle Kazu, uncle Shin-chan~!” Kotarou yelled out happily, making sure to make a circle around the suspicious blond to avoid him.

“So mean..” Kise smiled a little defeated before turning his attention to the newcomers.

“Sorry about that, he usually doesn't act like this. Maybe if he'll see you play a bit he'll loosen up..” Amami tried to apologize towards the blonde before greeting her friends.

**************

Later that day, after everyone had finally gathered, they started to play basketball together. Warming up with little rounds of 2-on-2's while Amami, Kotarou, Momoi and her daughter Hiyori were sitting on the bench at the sideline catching up while watching the men play.

Amami was grateful that none of her old friends seemed to have any sort of resentment towards her, since she abandoned them a few years ago. They were all mature enough to look past it and accept the woman back in the group again.

Both women kept a close eye on the two children who seemed to be getting along just fine. Kuroko and Momoi's daughter was a little younger than Kotarou. With very short pink piggy tails and those light blue eyes who seemed to be able to stare through your soul. She really looked like her parents, which made Amami chuckle. It was refreshing to speak with another woman whose job was to take care of a child. Matter of fact, it was actually quite interesting. The woman had all sorts of advice and tricks for dealing with children, Amami was sure to memorize them all.

The two toddlers were playing with Kotarou's ball, rolling the ball towards each other while the men in the background started to become rowdier, indicating they were close to being done with their warm-up.

“Oh my gooood~! They are so adorable-ssu! I'm gonna make a picture of them.” Kise cooed, gushing over the children who were sharing their fruity snacks shyly.

“I know, right! Makes me want to have some of my own. Shin-chan, let's make some babies!” Takao took hold of Midorima's arm, pressing it tightly against his chest as he teased the man.

“Don't be an idiot, Kazunari.” Midorima merely rolled his eyes. He knew his lover was joking anyway. They had talked of adopting a child once upon a time, but it quickly became quite clear that none of them really had a need to have a child of their own. They were more than happy enough with the two of them. Besides they still had their sisters who eventually would settle down themselves, it was only a matter of time before they became real uncles. They'd have enough children in their lives to spoil without having the 'downside' of raising one.

Kotarou, who instantly grew aware of the blond inching closer towards him and his new friend, started to shuffle away from him to Kise's dismay.

“Ko-cchi, don't be so meaaan, I'm not gonna hurt you or anything. Let uncle Kise make a picture of you and Hiyo-cchi!” Kise almost begged the toddler as he tried once more to shorten the distance between them.

“Noo.., Bunny-chaaaan~!” The boy yelled as he immediately ran towards Kagami who stood a little further.

Kagami, for a moment, grinned in triumph towards Kise before he cast his eyes down towards Kotarou. Ruffling the short ginger locks with his hand with a bright smile. “Don't worry, I'll protect you from the evil pretty boy. Your instincts are good not to trust Kise.”

“Kagami!” “Kagami-cchi~.”

Both Kise and Amami called out towards the redhead. 

“Ah, whatever! At least I don't make little Hiyo-cchi cry, _every_ time.” Kise shot back, hugging the pink-haired girl tightly as if to make a point which made Kagami scowl a little in defeat.

“Tsk.. I'll be going to the restroom, once I'm back I'll wipe the floor with you, Kise.” He cast the man a look of determination before he made his way to the nearby building in the park.

“Yup, I'm gonna take a leak too before we start!” Takao piped up, almost running towards the restroom.

Kagami scowled a little when Takao entered the restroom behind him and took place at one of the urinoirs aside him. They hadn't talked ever since Kagami tried to get in his apartment to convince Amami not to break up with him all those years ago. He never forgot how his former teammate had lashed out towards him. Somewhere inside of him he could understand why he did it though, so he didn't expect things to be all peachy now.

“Sooo.. the great Kagami-sama has returned! I've heard Kotarou seems to be quite taken with ya.” Takao started in a cheerful sarcastic tone while unzipping his pants.

For a moment only the two men relieving themselves could be heard.

“What about it..? If you've got something to say, then say it. I don't feel like beating around the bush.” Kagami growled a little, getting annoyed at the conniving aura radiating from Takao.

“Aah, nothing special.. just find it pretty interesting how the Amami's seem to have a weakness for redheads. You shoulda seen Kotarou when he first saw Akashi, he was pretty much hugging the man when he sat on his lap. I actually got cute pictures of them, here lemme show ya..”

Takao went towards the sink to wash his hands before he walked up towards Kagami who was drying his hands. He immediately fished his phone out of his pocket and showed Kagami the picture of the three of them at the Hanami party. “They look good together, don't ya think?”

Kagami stared at the picture, taking in how Kotarou was indeed clinging onto Akashi while he was on his lap. But it's how close Amami was hugging both of them that rubbed Kagami the wrong way. The fact that the aunt was fondly looking at Kotarou was the only solace he had from it. “Looks like it was fun indeed.”

“Right? We really had a lot of fun together that day. We spent a lot of time together, just the four of us. Akashi and Seo especially, I remember that one ball Akashi had invited her to. She looked drop dead gorgeo--” Takao's musings was interrupted by a growling Kagami.

“What's your point, Takao? Is there any reason you're telling me all of this?” Kagami already knew where this was heading.

“Calm down _tiger_ , it's not like anything happened. Though I'm pretty sure your fellow redhead at least tried. It was so obvious at times that I'm beginning to question Amami's intellect for not recognizing the crush he had. Aaaah.. shame really.., they really fit well together in my opinion.” Takao finished, throwing the moist paper in the bin, shrugging not so innocently before he left the restroom leaving a bewildered Kagami behind.

Takao felt a little bad when he was returning. He had promised both Amami and Midorima to be nice towards Kagami, but here he was, spewing such crap just to get a rise out of the man. He would never forget the haunted look his childhood friend wore the night they broke up. All those years of the woman hurting while he was having a blast in America. Then he returned back to Japan and made frequent appearances in her life, as if nothing had happened. He knew because she always called him to talk about it afterwards. Having to hear the woman be all flustered because he was making such an impact on her _again_. 

He had a faint suspicion that both of them weren't as done with each other as they thought they were, making him wonder if he should do something to either prevent or help them out. He'd have to test him to see how he felt about the woman nowadays, and taunting him with the right kind of ammunition might just prove worthwhile. 

“Yo, I'm back!” He ran towards the bench where Amami was seated, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

“Then we'll just have to wait until Kagami returns so we can arrange the teams.” Akashi said who was sitting on the other side of Amami with a hair-grabbing Kotarou on his lap.

“Ah, he'll be here shortly. Think he was taking a du--” Takao started but found himself jumbled forward as said man walked into him ever so subtly, when he passed the bench.

Kagami glared down at Takao, daring him to continue that lie. It's then that he saw Akashi was sitting next to Amami with the toddler latched onto his hair, turning his glare into a scowl. He immediately turned away and took the ball they were going to use for the game, not wanting to see how close they were, nor the arrogant smirk on Takao's face. “I'll team up with Kuroko and Kise, those are balanced teams.” He simply stated, not even caring if the others had any objections.

“Eh, Kagami-cchi, I thought you wanted to 'wipe the floor' with me?” Kise's teases fell on deaf ears when the man continued to walk towards the court.

The group looked on in confusion at the sudden change of Kagami, not really knowing what was going on. All except for Takao, whose face was slowly contorting into one of regret.

“Wouldn't it be more balanced if Akashi join--” Amami started, realizing the demand was pretty weird, coming from Kagami. Also it doesn't make sense to have two point guards in the same team and none in the other.

“It'll be fine, Amami-kun. I have full confidence Takao will do a perfect job. It's no problem for me to have another position.” Akashi claimed, giving the woman a sincere smile before casting a less sincere one to Takao. Akashi had a small suspicion what had caused his fellow redhead to be in this foul mood, Takao being the main reason behind it all. He couldn't deny the idea of battling Kagami once more like old times sparked something inside of him, however. He still had to repay him for several losses on his account and was gladly accepting the challenge only he saw was being given to him.

“Very well then. Kise-kun will have to be our point guard then.” Kuroko gave the blond a small smile which made the latter perk up instantly.

“I'll do my best-ssu! Though I really want to play against Kagami-cchi too.” Kise cast a confident smirk towards his team, especially Kagami, not having forgot their earlier scuffle.

It seems all of them had become rather curious to play against Kagami. He was after all the only one of them, together with Aomine, to make a career out of the sport they loved in the NBA. It was a good test for them to see if they still had it in them, after so many years of barely having played. They saw their lack of practice an equal handicap to Kagami's injury. Needless to say, the blood was pumping with adrenaline when they all walked up on the court. Playing together like this had been too long ago.

“Taka-chan will be fine Amami-chan, it'll be fun, right Hiyori-tan?” Momoi fondly smiled looking at her friends before cradling her daughter closer in her arms.

“Mmm..” Amami responded noncommittally, being deep in thought. 'It's not really him I'm worried about however..' She frowned a little until she noticed the men on the court all looking expectantly at her.

“Seo-chan, come toss the ball up for us. Shin-chan is getting all antsy to start in here.” Takao called out, dodging the incoming slap up the head expertly.

“Oh..ehm alright. I'll try I guess..” She never had to do this action and even though she has seen it countless of times already, it still made her a little nervous for some unknown reason. She tried to shrug it off when she held the ball in her hands, looking at the two men in front of her. They had chosen Midorima and Kagami to go for the tip-off, which was.. all in all not so surprising considering their height. The looks on their faces, however, did take her by surprise. She figured the men would be all concentrated on the game, but the aura radiating from them seemed so intimidating that it made her shiver a little. 

“Here goes..” She tossed the ball straight upwards high enough and quickly ran off the court when she did, scared to be in the men's way.

And with that the game had begun.


	29. Chapter 29

Even when the doctor had told Kagami that his injuries had healed enough and that he was now allowed to play again, he was once more reminded that he should be careful still. _“Don't overdo it and you'll be fine Kagami-san.”_ And so far he managed to do just so. He had played that promised one on one with Kuroko, the moment he had been given the green light, feeling so relieved to be able to play again. Kuroko was never a worthy opponent in a one on one however, it wasn't his strength, which left the redhead a little unsatisfied. The phantom kept reminding Kagami that he was supposed to take it easy anyway, so he should learn to adapt to a new, less intense, way of playing.

All of that was thrown out of the window when he stepped on the court, part of the miracle gang one step behind him, getting ready for their three on three. The usual electricity he felt in the air when he was about to face one of them, igniting the desire to overcome the massive challenge like it always had.

He was so concentrated that he didn't notice the worrying glances Amami was sending him before she threw the ball up for the tip off. He was dead set on getting that ball and unleash his frustration that had been building up ever since he was escorted off the court from that one fateful game in America.

After five minutes of playing vigorously, Takao started to realize he may have done something really bad by riling the man up. He should've known better, Kagami always had this tendency to let it all out when facing one of them, he really didn't need Takao to add more aggravation. This was going to be an overkill at the expense of his injury if he didn't calm down.

It wasn't only Takao that noticed the destructive way that Kagami was playing. They all seemed to give each other worrying glances when the redhead roared in victory with each overwhelming dunk or block. The term 'monster' came to mind several times. 

Kagami had grown so much ever since he joined the NBA, which was to be expected. But this.. no, someone had to calm him down.

“I'd like to have a time-out.” Akashi spoke up, wiping the sweat from his brows. He had been taking the brunt of Kagami's offensive plays since the beginning and it was taking its toll on the man. Not that much to request a time-out however, he just wanted Kagami to calm down for his own sake.

“What?! We've just begun..?!” Kagami's eyes widened at the strange request from Akashi. 

“I wouldn't mind to take a small break either, nanodayo.” Midorima joined his teammate without missing a beat. As a doctor he _knew_ that this was bad for Kagami's shoulder. “Perhaps it's best if.. you took it a little bit easier, Kagami.” Midorima was never good with beating around the bush, but the man really didn't want to test that bubbling fury by mentioning his shoulder.

“What the hell are you talking about? Have you guys gone so soft when I was gone?” Kagami smirked toothily, trying to taunt the men.

“Kagami-kun.. you're supposed to take it easy. Remember what the doctor told you, we're only trying to look-” Kuroko, the one who knew Kagami the best, tried to reason with his best friend. Seeing everyone becoming worried only strengthened his resolve to take the brunt that was surely coming his way.

“I _am_ taking it easy!” Kagami interrupted his shadow with a loud growl before he was staring into a dead serious blank stare. The light blue eyes burning a calculating stare into him. He knew Kuroko well enough to know the severity behind that powerful stare of him. “Fine.. let's take a break..”

Kuroko nodded, not entirely happy with the man's attitude, but it was a small victory nonetheless.

The men all walked towards the bench where they had placed their belongings, making good use of the little break by drinking water or wiping some sweat away with their towels.

“Bunny-chan's so cool!~” Kotarou yelped out, waving his hand in the air to gain the redhead's attention.

Kagami chuckled at the enthusiastic display before his gaze dropped towards the woman holding the toddler firmly on her lap. She didn't seem to be as excited as the toddler. She was frowning when she looked at him until her gaze landed on Akashi, visibly letting out a deep sigh. His eyes narrowed when he followed the direction of her gaze and found the other, calmly talking with Midorima at the other bench.

“Kagami-kun, let's try a new tactic. Why don't you stay on defense and leave Kise to score, I'll be your invisible point guard.” It was more of a statement rather than a question, still sporting that same severe stare.

“What and leave Kise to deal with Akashi on offense?!” Bristling at the mere thought of sticking to defense only.

“That's uncalled for, Kagami-cchi! I can manage just fine against Akashi-cchi. Besides, I've been itching to make some plays as well, you've been hogging the ball too much.” Kise gave Kagami a very unusual stern glare. Not amused by the subtle insult the tiger threw at him, but also still worried that his friend will hurt himself if he kept the same pace.

Kagami groaned loudly and threw both hands in the air in defeat at the constant nagging of his friends. The motion sending a shot of pain through his shoulder, which made him slightly flinch. He immediately covered it up by ruffling his towel through his fiery locks, covering the small grimace his face showed. The pain adding more frustration on top of the pile he already had accumulated. 'I just got to win this..'

The only one who's been quiet the entire time, was Takao. His guilt seemed to have been eating him ever since the game had begun and somehow Amami had sensed something alike in her best friend. Perks of knowing each other since kindergarten.

“That idiot..” She murmured to herself, her gaze fixating on a too quiet Takao. She didn't know what her best friend had said to Kagami to trigger him, frankly she didn't care. She had asked him several times to give Kagami some slack, making him even promise to play nice and now she's witnessing how Kagami is pretty much losing his temper in a friendly game ever since he came back from the restroom.

Her gaze landed once more on Kagami, noticing his own frown. She knew something was wrong, making her want to run up towards the man to calm him down like she used to. But memories of their last encounter flitted through her mind. Confessing her feelings she still harbored after all those years during their fight over a silly Kaga-chan. Breaking down in tears in front of him afterwards when all the stress had finally bore down on her and eventually being held in his embrace once more. Kagami sought to comfort her, which was so effective that it made her want to cry even more. She needed him, more than she cared to admit but knew it would be folly and selfish to expect anything from the man now. She was already overwhelmed by the fact that Kagami wasn't angry with her, not minding to help her out. But could she really be satisfied with that? Remain friends while her heart pretty much screamed it wanted more than that? Her train of thought thankfully got interrupted by Kotarou who flung his fists in the air excitedly, cheering for the game that had begun once more. Amami just managed to dodge the incoming pudgy fist.

“He's really into the game, huh?” Momoi looked amused towards the two Amami's next to her on the bench.

“Mmm? Ah, it would seem so.. Guess it's my own fault for letting him watch games on tv.” Amami weakly smiled, shrugging at the inquiry of her friend.

“Or perhaps it's because he likes to watch together with his aunt.” Momoi grinned when Amami gave her a mystified look. “Something tells me that your feelings about the game somehow rubbed off on him.”

“I.. don't really think it's like that, he's just fascinated with anything flashy, I think..” Amami humbly spoke, softly caressing the short ginger locks of the toddler on her lap.

“Maybe you're right, but you can't deny that watching them play doesn't affect you. Call it woman's intuition and experience of my own.” The woman smiled warmly when her gaze fell on her friends playing together.

Amami followed her gaze and somehow knew the woman was right about some things. It felt good watching them play, enjoying their time spent together playing ball. Nostalgic memories not so far behind, reminding them of the careless times in their youth together. She inhaled shakily, having forgot to breathe for a moment. “Perhaps..”

Meanwhile on the court it became more tense by the minute, unlike the women on the bench who were now chatting amiably. Ever since Kagami resorted to defense only, Akashi's team managed to make several points in a row. Fully taking advantage of Kagami's lack of offense, making consecutive shots. Kise managed to score as well, but not enough to stem the tide. The score, which was in the favor of Kagami's team before their break, was now ringing alarm bells in the redhead's mind when the others managed to overtake them.

“This is no good..” Kagami spoke to no one in particular. He stood in the middle of the court, watching as Kise's combo attack with Kuroko got blocked once more by Akashi. A scorching aura radiating from him as he took in a deep breath, calming his nerves. “We've got to win..”

The game felt like it suddenly ran in slow motion, he could see Takao holding the ball. Following his gaze to see what the raven-haired man would do. Would he pass to Midorima for their touch and shoot? To Akashi for more success chance against Kagami? Kagami noticed a certain glint in the point guard's eyes and his instinct immediately took over. In a flash he was in front of Akashi, slapping the ball out of his hands when the leather had managed to caress the receiver's fingers for merely a second. Taking everyone by surprise by the incredible speed and power when he entered the zone. Kagami made quick work getting around Takao, not even making the man break a sweat over it. When he managed to leave a stumbling Takao and slowly recovering Akashi behind him, he was facing Midorima, ready to defend. He saw everyone's position and immediately calculated the best attack. Not missing a beat he mustered all the power in his legs, pushing him in the air from the free throw line. Raising his hand in the air with the ball firm in its grasp as he was air-walking. His intense gaze zeroing in on the ring and Midorima jumping in order to block him. With all the power he could muster he slammed the ball from mid air in the ring, successfully pulling off a Meteor Jam. It was only when his feet finally touched the ground that a familiar surge of pain shot through his shoulder. Stumbling forward on his knee when he clutched his right shoulder, groaning loudly when said joint was screaming a massive objection towards the physical abuse the man put it through.

Amami's eyes widened with fear when she saw Kagami falter and clutch his shoulder. In a flash she managed to put Kotarou down safely before dashing towards the man on the ground. “Taiga!” Throwing caution to the wind she slid on the concrete right in front of him.

Through the haze of pain Kagami managed to look up slightly when he heard his given name being yelled by the familiar voice. Something he had longed to hear for god knows how long. The first thing he saw were the red and green gems in the pendant of her necklace hovering close in front of him.

“Don't move your shoulder..” She placed a soft hand on his cheek in order to calm him down and focus on her through his pain.

Feeling her small fingers caress his cheek, he immediately felt his heart thumping heavily in his chest. The pain subsided when he placed his own hand on hers, wide eyes staring in her equal panicked ones. “S-Seo..” He couldn't form a sentence, even if he tried. Not even bothering to call her by her last name either, even though she had told him to last time. She had done the same and it made his heart flutter.

“Amami, move aside please, I need to take a close look, nanodayo.” Midorima softly pushed Amami's shoulder, a little reluctant to break up their sweet moment.

Her gaze immediately snapped up towards her friend which made her realize the position she was in. She nodded a little hesitant before moving to Kagami's side, leaving enough room for Midorima and an approaching Momoi to take a look at the redhead's shoulder.

“I don't see anything too bad right now, but you may want to pay your specialist a visit if the pain continues, Kagami.” Midorima told him, after several minutes of thoroughly inspecting the man's shoulder.

“He's right Kagamin, I see you can still move your shoulder but that doesn't mean you can be reckless with it. It's best if you stop playing for now, give your shoulder a few days of rest, see what it does. In case the pain stays, you'll need to go see you doctor asap. Just remain calm and don't use it too much for now, in case something is wrong.” Momoi gave her own specialized opinion after she had also done her own examination. 

“But.. the game's not done yet!” Kagami halfheartedly breathed out, already knowing his friends were right and that he should listen to him. Too reluctant to 'admit defeat' due to his injury. He suddenly felt his hand being squeezed by the woman who had remained by his side. Still holding each other's hand unknowingly. He knew what she was trying to say even when she decided not to speak up. She was right, they all were. It still pained him to accept that he won't be playing his usual game anymore, he still needed to adapt. It caused him more pain than the injury itself did, he admitted. “Right..”

It's then that Takao approached the redhead on the ground, pulling two toddlers along in each hand of his. “I-I'm sorry, Kagami. This is all my fault, I shouldn't have said those things earlier. I just..” He looked at Amami for a moment before returning his gaze towards the ground once more. The sight so unlike the usual upbeat Takao they all knew. His look was distraught with complete shame and sorrow.

Kagami sort of understood what he wanted to say, he figured the man just wanted to defend his best friend. Hell, he had to admit he would pull off some weird stuff too if it was to protect his own friends, so he gave him a small nod as a way of showing he understood.

While Midorima and Amami were staring between Takao and Kagami, seeing how humble Takao had become, Kuroko and Momoi were throwing each other conspiring ones. Having fully read the situation and wanting to abuse it as much as they could.

“Kagami-kun, perhaps it's best to stay with someone for the night. You'll need help, now that you can't use your shoulder. I don't fully trust you to follow our advice if we would leave you alone now.” He mustered the most plain gaze he could, eyeing Kagami and the rest of the group, hoping at least the others would understand what he was trying to do.

“Eh, what? I've been fine before, I'll be alright.” Kagami uttered confused at the statement.

“No, that won't do, Kagami. I won't allow you to further damage your shoulder. I'll need you at your best once we settle our game.” Akashi's crisp demanding tone rung, having understood Kuroko almost instantly. His gaze swiftly settled on Amami, who was still sitting next to Kagami on the ground. “Unfortunately I already have plans for tonight.”

“I have an interview-ssu!” Kise beamed, not really bothered with covering a growing grin. For being a famous model he sure had poor acting skills.

“Kazunari.. and I are going on a date tonight, nanodayo.”

“We are?!”

“Shut up, Kazunari..”

“Shin-chan~!” Takao exclaimed fondly, hugging his boyfriend tightly. His defeated aura instantly dissipating for glee at the prospect of going out with his lover.

“Ah, I guess I'll come over to your place Kuro--” Kagami spoke up.

“I'll do it!” Amami squawked perhaps a bit too brash before nervously staring at their hands still holding together on her lap. “I mean, if you don't mind.. I don't.. and Kotarou would like it too.” She added, her voice slightly hitching as she rambled.

“We're counting on you, Amami-kun.” Kuroko spoke up immediately, not giving Kagami time to say anything himself. “I'm sure you'll do everything to prevent Kagami from being brash.” His usual poker face slid towards Kagami, his eyes showing a challenge that even Kagami wouldn't dare to accept.

“I'll help too!” Kotarou said, wriggling free from Takao's grasp as he gingerly placed his small hand on Kagami's good shoulder, softly patting.

Kagami's gaze changed from his friends over to Kotarou in front of him. Letting out a soft chuckle at the heart-warming gesture of the toddler. “Please take good care of me then.” He inclined his head before glancing up towards Amami who seemed to be blushing furiously. 

“They're so cute!~” Kise squealed excitedly, looking at the three sitting on the concrete. Amused by the two grown-ups blushing like teenagers and a very serious toddler trying to ruffle Kagami's fiery locks, his hand just out of reach.

Neither of them said anything, opting to look at anything else in a sad attempt to will their blush away.

“I'm glad that that's settled. We'll have to continue this game some other time to see who wins.” Akashi noted, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “If you'll excuse me, I'll be taking my leave now. I'd like to be in time for Nakiri's concert.”

“Tell her we can't wait to meet her, Akashi-kun!” Momoi said, noticing Akashi's smile turn slightly bigger at the idea.

“I will. She would've come today, if it weren't for their rehearsal for tonight.” Akashi explained while he was already gathering his belonging, seemingly very eager towards his evening with his girlfriend.

Kagami's eyes widened a little, his gaze switching between Momoi, Akashi and Amami. His brain slowly putting two and two together. The moment he realized they must be talking about Akashi's girlfriend, he felt his heart pleasantly flutter. The revelation slowly sinking, his smile turned into a soft scowl that was directed towards Takao. Casting him an accusing glare.

Takao of course had noticed Kagami's expression. Nervously scratching the back of his neck giving the redhead an apologetic look.

**************

The three were in the elevator on their way towards Amami's apartment. Kagami had asked the woman to drop him off at his place first in order to get a quick shower and gather some clothes and unmentionables for his stay at her place. He kept asking himself how they managed to tumble in this situation. He wasn't complaining but it still seemed a little awkward since they never really spoke of what had transpired that one evening. He imagined the small break, not seeing each other, would have given both of them enough time to put their thoughts in order, grant them time to figure things out. Which he truthfully had been doing, or at least attempted. He had heard her when she told him she apparently couldn't let go of him, but wasn't entirely sure what that meant exactly. Did it mean that she was still harboring feelings for him or the opposite? Were the memories of what they used to have and how they broke up still preventing her to initiate a friendship? Is that what she wanted, a friendship? Which left him to struggle with more questions popping up.

What did he want?

He sort of knew what he wanted, he only needed to figure out how the woman was feeling, wait for that answer and then act on it. Which was easier said than done of course, for all the years they had been a couple he was sure he was still very dense when it came to matters of the heart. It still sometimes surprised him that they ended up as a couple to begin with, seeing how clumsy they were about it. The amount of years spent in America, focusing solely on basketball didn't help him either.

He had to be careful, not wanting to ruin whatever it was that had started to grow between the two of them.

When he looked to his left, taking in the sight of the woman cradling an asleep Kotarou in her arms, who seemed to have passed out at his place from fatigue, he was pulled away from his musings. The sight of the two felt so intimate and warm, making him smile.

“He's really out of it huh?” He whispered as quietly as he could, even though all the noise from their trip from his place to hers hadn't managed to wake the toddler up. He didn't want to risk waking him up.

“I'm surprised he managed to stay up for so long, usually he'd be fast asleep around one o'clock.” She whispered back, her head flicking towards the door when they arrived at her floor.

“Guess he really was enjoying himself today then.” He spoke softly, checking his watch that showed him it was nearing three o'clock already.

“Yes well..” She softly chuckled when she pushed the key in her door, pushing it open before entering. “..anything for his hero, I guess.” Giving him a small smile while toeing off her shoes. Wanting to place Kotarou in his bed quickly so she could tend to Kagami, which was the reason why he was even here to begin with, right? 

“Who knew my number one fan lived in Japan while I was out there, huh?” He chuckled a little, not noticing her body to stiffen momentarily as she was carrying Kotarou to his bedroom.

A small pregnant pause hung in the air until Amami broke it. “Heh.. go figure.” Letting out a humorless chuckle of her own that poorly hid her unease at the statement.

This, he _did_ pick up on. Cursing himself mentally as he realized what he had said. “Shit, I mean..” He started nervously, realizing he was swearing in front of a kid making him fluster further, smacking his palm over his mouth and looking at the still sleeping toddler.

“Relax, Kagami, he didn't hear you.” She gave him a smile that didn't entirely reach her eyes before disappearing into the bedroom.

'And we're back to 'Kagami'. Well played, idiot.' He thought bitterly, chastising himself on already having messed up the mood and they weren't even inside for five minutes yet.


	30. Chapter 30

Their afternoon had gone by rather peacefully. Amami had told Kagami to make himself at home while she busied herself with preparing little bits for dinner. Taking full advantage of the small hour Kotarou used for his usual nap. Thankfully she had enough food stocked to feed a hungry Kagami today, though she was sure if the man's appetite had remained the same she'd have to go towards the store tomorrow to replenish.

Kagami meanwhile had busied himself with taking care of his shoulder. Placing ice-packs on it to counter the swelling and doing small exercises he learnt from his therapist and his own studies from college to keep the joint limber.

“Here, let me help you.” Her voice instantly interrupted a daydreaming Kagami, taking hold of the ice-pack he was trying to place on his back before gently pushing it against it. “Looked like a painful position to stay in.” She shrugged when she noticed the confused stare he was giving her.

“Ah I guess, thank you.” Recovering from his startled state he managed to give the woman a grateful smile.

Their position seemed a lot more intimate than they realized when Amami decided to sit next to him, close enough to keep the pack firmly in place while remaining as comfortable as she could herself. A welcome silence fell upon them, something that hadn't happened in years.

Kagami closed his eyes when Amami started to softly mimic his earlier massage techniques on his shoulder. Not even questioning how the woman knew of these, just fully enjoying the touch of her hands relaxing his muscles.

Amami had been keeping an eye on the man ever since she started to cut the vegetables in her kitchen. Noticing how he was taking care of his shoulder in such a calm and efficient way. Observing the small grimaces when a certain knead of his hand or nudge from the ice-pack was causing the man pain.

Amami was deeply focused on the massage, afraid to hurt the man. It was when she heard a content sigh from the man that her mind initiated an inner monologue with herself. Her mind drifting towards that last evening they were here, confessing back then and today she jumped on the chance of spending more time with him before she even realized she had. “What were you even thinking?!” She blurted out, surprising herself that she said that out loud.

“Eh? What do you mean?” Kagami stiffened the moment she abruptly broke the silence, taken aback.

“The game, your shoulder, those careless moves.. You just had surgery a while ago and--” She interrupted herself by taking a deep breath, not wanting to lecture the man any further.

Kagami could only stare in front of him. He knew what caused him to take things too far today, realizing himself how idiotic those reasons were in hindsight. Not wanting to explain to her, he just gave her an apology. “Guess I went a bit too far. Sorry for bothering you.”

“Taking care of you isn't bothering me, Kagami. It's your careless attitude towards your shoulder that scares me.” She responded once she recovered from the small surprise from his apology.

'I missed you.' Is what he wanted to say. He had missed her for all those years without even realizing it himself. Just like he didn't realize how lonely he felt during high school when he started living by himself in his father's apartment until his friendship with Kuroko, Amami and the miracle crew started to invade his life.

All those times in LA that his eyes darted towards the crowd, looking for a certain someone, just to find no one in particular when he pulled off a nice move during his games. The moments he arrived home afterwards, being greeted by the cold embrace of emptiness just like it did back then. It had never felt right, felt like something was missing. Now he realized how much her absence had really affected him during those years. Heck maybe that's why he moved back to Japan. He could've stayed in America, remain close to his family and friends, but something made him come back to Japan and he was getting more and more convinced that it wasn't because of the food or his old friends.

“You haven't changed at all.” He chose to reply instead. Giving the woman a sincere fond smile, taking in the baffled expression.

Of all the things he could've answered with, she would've never expected him to say this, but somehow it was the thing she needed to hear the most. She had lost her way in the last few years, resulting her to feel regret every waking moment by how she hurt her family and friends. Afraid that not following him had changed her into someone else permanently. Her eyes widened, surprised not only by the words but also by the effect it was having on herself. Her chest tightened when she looked back into those beautiful red eyes. Her gaze softened, giving him a small appreciative smile instead. “You haven't either.”

They returned to a companionable silence once more, enjoying their little moment until Amami had to wake Kotarou up, not wanting him to lose sleep later tonight. Since then her place became louder as expected. The two boys hitting it off right away giving the woman some time to get some small chores around the place done while they were playing together.

Kagami chuckled at the boy's exuberance, his energy replenished after his nap resulting in the boy begging Kagami to play all sorts of games with him. Initially Kotarou had wanted to play with his new basketball but the idea was immediately shot down by Amami. Someone had to be the voice of reason. 'Kagami-kun's injured and the ball will make too much noise for the neighbors, Ko-chan. We don't want angry neighbors, now do we?' Thankfully the boy understood, albeit with a stubborn pout and stomp of his small foot on the ground.

Amami meanwhile had set the table for dinner. Having decided on preparing a hot pot since Kagami was here. That way everyone could decide which vegetables and how much meat they each wanted since the pot would be placed on a small burner in the middle of the table with the ingredients to be thrown in on the spot. When the pot would start to empty, she'd simply throw in rice or noodles to mix with the broth that got left over. Surely that way Kagami's infamous stomach would be fulfilled, she hoped.

“Oh! Are we going to eat nabe?” Kagami wondered, spotting the cooking plate in the middle of the table.

“Yes, I hope you don't mind?” She responded, momentarily questioning her choice.

“Are you kidding me? It's been years since I ate some, it's great!” Kagami's smile brightened up the room at the prospect of eating the typical Japanese dish he hadn't eaten for so long.

“You didn't eat it in America? I was pretty sure you'd be cooking all the time over there, since you always loved doing so.” Raising her eyebrow with amusement, not able to fathom the lack of nabe in the man's life for so long.

“Ah, I did.. it's just.. Nabe is meant for a whole lot of people, no? I just.. you know..” He shrugged his unease away with his good shoulder, not wanting to think on how empty his home in America really was.

Amami looked at the man, slightly understanding what he was referring to. Though the idea sounded a little bit silly since you decided for yourself how much ingredients you made. Besides, it's not like he was a small eater to begin with, even if he should have leftovers, he could simply put it into his freezer. Asides those valid reasons she sort of understood. Nabe was more of a dish to be consumed with friends and family on a cold winter night. “Well, it's just the three of us, Kagami-san, I hope we'll do the nabe experience justice tonight.” Giving him a mock curtsy, doing her best to eradicate the negative aura that hovered around the man with the quirky action.

And with that the man's chest tightened in a positive way, giving her a toothy grin. “I have great faith in _milady's_ cooking skills.” Mimicking the quirky action of hers with his own mock bow.

“Oh careful now, my English isn't as great as yours _Mister_ Kagami. Anyway, I'll be in the kitchen to prepare the broth. I'm sure you two can find something to keep yourselves busy with until dinner is ready.” Her smile crinkling her eyes with amusement as her gaze flickered between the two men on her couch.

“Ah, I'll help too, you've been busy all day now.” Kagami sheepishly scratched his cheek, realizing that the woman hadn't taken a moment to just sit down and relax the entire time.

“There's a good reason why you're staying over, Kagami. It's so you wouldn't have to do anything and let your shoulder rest. Besides it's just the broth I have to prepare and cleaning the vegetables. The rest is done already.” Amami waved the man's idea away, not wanting her guest to work.

“I love washing vegetables!” Kotarou exclaimed rather loudly, jumping around causing the two adults to look at him.

Amami and Kotarou had made it a habit to wash the vegetables together. It had given them some quality time while being productive at the same time. Of course she'd have to keep a close eye on him so he wouldn't make too much of a mess, but the boy seemed to love playing in the water. “You do indeed Ko-chan. I know, how about you ask Kagami-kun to help you clean the vegetables with you while I make the broth? That way we're all helping.” Amami reckoned that if the two of them really wanted to help her, she could put them on washing duty. It didn't require any skill at all and she knew it wouldn't put any strain on his shoulder.

“Come on Bunny-chan, we've got to help auntie Seo, please!” The boy pulled at the man's jeans, as if the redhead needed actual convincing on the matter.

“Let's show her how good we can clean them then!” Kagami ruffled the boy's hair before following the woman towards the kitchen.

Amami couldn't help but smile at the idea of the three of them together in the small kitchen. Placing all the vegetables in front of them and Kotarou on the kitchen counter, she motioned for Kagami to keep an eye on the boy before giving both her thanks, starting her own task.

Kagami rolled up the sleeves of his black sweater, letting water run in the sink meanwhile. His body caging the little boy on the counter, making sure he wouldn't be able to fall off. “Alright Kotarou, I'm gonna need your help, since I'll only use my good arm, I'll be relying on you buddy! Let's start!” He smiled, taking a small handful of carrots and throwing it gently in the water, making sure not to splash too much. He knew that he could easily just throw the entire plate of cut vegetables in the water in one go, but it seemed like a lot more fun to keep the little one busy.

“Okaay!~” The boy immediately followed Kagami's action and started to grab little amounts himself.

Amami, who was a little bewildered by how great Kagami was actually handling a child couldn't help but snicker. They both were so adorable, too focused on doing a good job.

“Ack! It's cold, Bunny-chan! It's coooold!” Kotarou screamed out unpleasantly, rubbing his small hands together to warm his fingers up.

“Eh? This is fine, no?” Kagami dipped his own hand in the water, noticing that it was the usual temperature tap water would be, which was in his mind not _that_ cold.

“It's too coooooold, Bunny-chan!” The boy whined further, louder this time to express how serious he really was.

“Well, what do you want me to do? Add some warm water to it? It can't be too warm, that's not good either you know.” Kagami tried to reason with the toddler.

“Pleaaaase!”

Laughter suddenly broke their conversation when Amami couldn't contain herself any further. The sound ringing off the walls and causing the man to frown at the woman making fun of him. 

“Oi, it's not that funny, you know it's not good to already heat the vegetables up.” Kagami now tried to reason with Amami who seemed to be flicking a small tear away from her eye.

She shouldn't be laughing this much, heck it wasn't _that_ funny. But for some mysterious reason she couldn't help it. The entire scene made her feel so happy and amused at the same time. “Sorry, Kagami. I'm not mocking you.. it's just that.. I think I've spoiled Ko-chan a little by using lukewarm water usually.” She explained, opening up the tap to let some warm water flow into the 'freezing' cold water. “Just a little, to take off the 'bite'.” Winking at the man in triumph as the boy was already hopping in place at the prospect of a little bit of warm water.

“See Bunny-chan, that's how you do it!” The boy pointed towards the water, as if the man wouldn't know how to conjure warm water from the tap.

“I get it, I get it. Bunny-chan still has to learn a lot from you two!” Kagami raised both his hands in defeat, not wanting to go into deeper debate with the two Amami's. He knew when a battle was lost. Letting out a deep sigh and a roll of the eyes when he saw the woman gloating at him.

Her heart fluttered at how domestic this all felt, causing her to gently rub the man's lower back to appease the man. Not entirely realizing how it probably looked like before she continued the almost done broth.

Kagami didn't show any resistance, but he was entirely aware of the comforting hand that had rubbed him in soothing circles on his back. It felt like his back was set aflame, even when her hand had already left his body, causing the man to blush a little.

Kotarou meanwhile had taken it upon himself to push his hand as deep as he could in the water and whirl the pieces around. His way of cleaning the vegetables while having fun with his Bunny-chan.

“Alright, my work here is done. We'll just have to wait until the broth is boiling and then we can have dinn--”

The ringing of her cellphone interrupted the woman in her statement, making her quickly run into the living room to fetch said device.

“This is Amami speaking.. Kashima-san? Yes I have those files... they'll be ready by Monday... I see..” Amami was talking with her boss on the phone, quickly opening her laptop as she hovered back towards the kitchen to check on the broth. Her expression entirely focused on the screen of her laptop that she was dragging along with her. “We could--... I understand.. I'll do my best to get them ready by tomorrow..” She closed the call, quickly tapping away on the laptop as she made her way towards the living room once more before placing it on her desk.

Kagami was in awe at how natural she made it look, the phone stuck between her shoulder and ear, the laptop mounted on her arm while stirring a wooden spoon through the broth. All that while seemingly having a conversation with her boss. He was sure that if he would try such a thing, he'd either drop one of the devices, say something embarrassing to his boss or stir the broth with the phone. He had to hand it to her, she always excelled at remaining calm and handle various tasks at the same time. Something his 'simple basketball-mind' wasn't able to.

“Sorry about that. Are the vegetables ready? Start scooping them out of the water so they can dry please, Kagami and Ko-chan.” Amami was back to her former self, smiling as she took the broth from the stove and moved it towards the cooking plate on the dinner table.

It didn't take long for the three of them to be done and start eating. Enjoying their lighthearted conversations while eating the successful nabe.

As the evening progressed Kotarou managed to trick Kagami in all sorts of games so much that Amami frequently had to butt in and make sure the child wouldn't put too much stress on Kagami's shoulder. When Kagami managed to convince Amami that he wasn't an entire dumbass she'd admit defeat and just enjoy the scenery.

All the playing around did manage to make Kotarou tired which Amami quickly picked up on and decided to herd him towards the bathroom to have his bath. It had taken a lot of convincing and pouting from the child, not wanting to be separated from his new friend at the prospect of having to go to bed so soon.

The moment they managed to get Kotarou to sleep, after the usual bedtime story which now was being told by both adults after much pleading from the child, Kagami slumped into the couch. He was tired, no exhausted. It had been a long day after all and even though he did enjoy most of it, except for the whole painful shoulder part, he was glad that it was evening.

He yawned, stretching his left arm above his head and closed his eyes, enjoying the sudden silence that fell in the apartment. “I don't know how you do all of this.. I'm beat and it's only been one day.” He looked at the woman who had taken it upon herself to enjoy a nice hot cup of green tea while staring out of her window.

“Trial and error, I'm afraid. It was a lot harder in the beginning..” Remembering all too well how much of a wreck they both were after their sudden loss, but also how she was struggling to keep both of them going with all that was happening and had to be done. Being thrown in some sort of parenthood all of a sudden without any experience was terrifying, but they managed. If the little one had a bump on his small forehead because she didn't pay enough attention and he bumped into the coffee table, she wouldn't tell anyone, but made sure it would never happen again. It literally became trial and error, learn from your mistakes and do everything to prevent it from happening again. It was hard, but she was never alone, which was the main factor why they managed to hit if off eventually. If it weren't for her family and her friends they'd be in a lot more sticky situations. “..We weren't alone however. I've gotten lots of help from everyone and I'm grateful for that.” She smiled a little, taking a sip from her cup.

“Still..” The man shrugged, not able to fathom if he were up to such a challenge if he was in her shoes. It wasn't only her nephew, but the entire 'losing her brother and sister-in-law' _and_ still managing to kick some major ass at her work. “..If it were me,.. I don't know if I would cut it.”

“You'd do the same, any decent person would. There is no room for giving up, you just do what you have to do and hope that you don't mess up too much.” She shrugged, a little unsure on how to explain it to the man. She opened up her laptop, intent on finishing those documents Kashima had asked her earlier that evening before asking if the man needed anything.

Kagami assured her he had everything he needed, flicking through the channels on her tv. Thoughts of her working all the time crossing his mind. 'It wouldn't hurt to cut herself some slack on that department..' But he was sure he was _not_ the person to lecture her on how to work, if she was still half of the prideful woman of years ago, he was sure he'd get an earful for commenting on her work ethic.

The night slowly went on with both of them focused on their own task at hand. Amami too focused on finishing her job, Kagami too tired and actually enjoying the quiet setting while watching some game on the tv.

They argued a little when Amami had told him he could sleep in her bed. She had made sure there were clean sheets on her bed for him. She offered to sleep on the couch, which wasn't as bad as it sounded given enough blankets and pillows. Of course the man refused to take the woman's bed initially, she deserved a good night's rest after all. Amami simply ended the argument by showing him the couch was too small for him and that he was her guest. If she weren't up for sleeping on the couch, she wouldn't have offered him to take care of him this weekend. Kagami finally relented, not wanting to fight further about something as trivial as this, but thanked her nonetheless which earned him a playful roll of the eyes.

They had wished each other a good night's rest before Kagami made way towards her bedroom, eager to close his eyes and slip into peaceful slumber.

A few hours later Amami was still working on her laptop. The light casting a muted glow on both her face and the window next to her. With all that, she managed to not realize the weather had taken a turn for the worse meanwhile. Too intent on getting these files finished had prevented her from hearing the rain clashing against the window pane next to her. The sky lighting up every once in a while when lightning struck in the distance followed by thunder which increased in volume as time progressed.

It wasn't until she heard a familiar sound faintly from the hallway leading to their bedrooms that she noticed anything amiss. Her gaze instantly flicked towards the door of the living room, intently listening if she'd hear it again. And there it was again, more clearer this time: Kotarou was crying.

She cursed out loud for not realizing it sooner as she instantly darted towards the boy's bedroom. “Ko-chan what's wrong?” She burst open the door of his bedroom, intent on calming the boy down. The boy was nowhere in sight however which made her panic for a small moment until she heard him sobbing once more, realizing that he must be in her bedroom instead. 

Not wasting another moment she ran towards her own bedroom, barging in without hesitation. “Ko-chan..?!”

The room was dimly lit by the bedside lamp revealing an awkward looking Kagami attempting to calm Kotarou down as the boy was still frantically crying. 

“I w-want auntie Seoo~” The boy cried out against Kagami's chest, his small frame shivering and clinging unto the tall man whenever lightning struck or a rather loud thunderclap startled him. The boy was hysterical due to the storm, not having heard his aunt whenever she called out to him.

“Auntie Seo is right here, look Kotarou..” Kagami sleepily nudged the boy's shoulder when he saw Amami quickly approaching the bed.

“Ko-chan, I'm here sweetie.” Quickly sitting on the bed next to the two boys, she rubbed his hair softly when he instantly clung to her body instead.

Another flash of light broke into the bedroom causing the boy to cry out again. His face covered in tears, sweat and snot as he pressed himself closer against his aunt to shield him from the nasty weather. “I'm scaaared..”

“Shhh, it's alright Ko-chan, nothing bad's going to happen.” She tried to calm the boy down by rubbing soothing circles on his back, softly hobbling his body against herself while trying to clean up his face little by little. “I'm right here, it's just a storm..”

Amami threw Kagami an apologetic look his way, feeling bad for interrupting the man's sleep like this. “Why don't we let Kagami-kun sleep by going back to your bedroom? I can stay there until the storm is over.”

“Nooo, I want Bunny-chan too!” His small fingers dug into her arms, fixated on remaining exactly where he was.

Amami weakly sighed. “Ko-chan, Bunny-chan is probably very sleep--”

“I don't mind.. I mean, if it'll help Kotarou.. I wouldn't mind for you guys to stay.” Kagami admitted, slowly but surely waking up.

Amami's gaze, full of surprise, flickered between the two men on the bed, contemplating her options. She didn't want to be a bother to Kagami, but chances were high that Kotarou wouldn't let up. “Alright, let's stay here for a while then.”

The three remained seated in her bed, enduring the storm that seemed to pick up more strength by the minute. All the soothing words to try to calm the boy down went straight in the gutter with each thunderclap. The storm was quite severe, it even took Amami by surprise, especially since it wasn't the season for such weather to begin with.

She was suddenly reminded on one nasty storm when she was a child herself and how scared she had felt back then. It was her brother who had heard her sobbing through the night and remained by her side until the storm was over. She remembered how he messily tried to explain on how a storm came to be, confusing her with all the complicated terms he had learned in school. But the age gap between the two of them was perhaps a bit too much for the young girl to comprehend what he was trying to explain. Ushio eventually opted to tell her about this neat trick which had helped the girl a lot to face her fear.

“Hey, Ko-chan.. Did you know that those loud thunderclaps you hear, are actually clouds running into each other?” Amami spoke up, trying to gain the little one's attention with it. “But because of that, they start to argue because their bodies aren't alike each other, which is what we hear in those rumblings.” She softly smiled when the boy looked up, big watery eyes staring with interest back at her. “Clouds are like people, they get along just fine most of the time.. but sometimes they fight, just like we do. So then they argue, but after a while they learn to live with one another and quiet down once more.”

She turned the toddler around in her lap, so he was now sitting with his back against her chest. Their faces towards the closed curtains that was slightly open, revealing flashes of light inside the room. She hugged the boy tightly, her own face resting next to his as they both looked towards that small sliver of night sky.

“Your father told me that.. you can calculate how far those fighting clouds are by counting..” She started to explain, squeezing the boy's hands when he flinched at the loud thunder. “If you start counting after the lightning until you hear the thunder roll, you'll have the exact number of kilometers that those clouds are from us. That's why.. the thunder is louder when you can't count for long, because they're really close.”

“Daddy said that? They come.. close to us?” The boy hesitantly spoke up, awe but also fear growing on his expression.

“Mhm! Sometimes they're right above your head! But the sky is high you know, so to us it's still very far. And just how they have wandered towards us, they'll start to wander away from us too. That's when the time between lightning and thunder starts to get bigger again, when they are slowly drifting away from us. They'll become more quiet and eventually the storm will be over for us.”

The boy was blinking owlishly towards both the adults, trying to comprehend the explanation that was just given to him. 

“Let's try counting, we've been practicing a lot, right? Kuroko-sensei will be happy that we've been practicing counting so much!” Amami shuffled a little on the bed, trying to open up the curtain a little further to give a clearer view on the night sky.

They all waited until a flash struck through the stormy clouds, starting to count with help of Kagami until a loud thunder stopped them. It had kept the boy busy, focusing on another aspect of the storm and slowly he started to become more animated, looking forward to start counting again. The look of awe growing on his expression as the weird theory his aunt just explained actually was true.

“Uwaaaah! It's so close now! We could only count to three this time!” The boy exclaimed rather loudly, getting more excited by the minute. He looked up at both adults who were resting behind him, not noticing the weak smile on his aunt's lips.

She was happy that she could convince her nephew that storms weren't as scary as they seemed to be. She would be happy with the large victory if it weren't for the constant reminder of that time with her brother. He really did look like his father, which at the moment wasn't helping her state of mind. 

She could faintly hear the two counting in the background while scenes of her brother sitting next to her on her bed, trying to unclasp her hands from her ears started to unfold in front of her eyes. The loud thunderclap brought her back to reality, her body jerking at the unwelcome noise.

The sudden movement made Kagami look towards the woman next to him. His heart clenched when he took in the weak state she was currently in. She sat there as if she had just seen a ghost, which was not far from the truth. It's when a lone tear started to roll down her cheek that Kagami reached for it, brushing it gently away with his thumb.

Amami was startled, to say the least, when she felt his warm hand caressing her so tenderly. It even took her a few moments to realize more tears had started to roll down from her eyes. Her eyes widening with surprise at both revelations.

Kagami didn't say anything, didn't want to alert the toddler of his aunt's state, now that he had calmed down. He instead opted to shuffle closer towards her, wrapping his good arm around her upper body, gently pulling her closer to lean on him.

She was grateful that Kagami didn't say anything, she wasn't certain if she could face Kotarou like this at the moment. She relished his warmth instead, making good use of the offered shoulder to cry on quietly.

They remained like this for a little while longer. The storm eventually passed like his aunt said it would and both Amami's were calmed down. They were now enjoying the closeness and familiarity of the others.

Amami had wanted to pick up Kotarou to put him back in his own bed, but the boy started to plead his aunt to stay where they were right now. The little one even went as far as begging his aunt they all would sleep in her bed which was instantly faced with rejection from her. But after plenty of begging and Kagami's shy approval she relented. They were all too sleepy to put up much of a fight, so they all fell asleep rather quickly with Kotarou curled up between the two adults.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! First of all, I'd like to apologize for the delay. Sorry! I was facing a massive writer's block and couldn't be happy with anything I wrote. That made me think about this story and what I still wanted to do with it, which eventually ended with me not so sure if I wanted to continue this any further. Even though I still had a lot of things planned initially to add, I felt like this was maybe more than enough now. It still took me a long time to finally decide that this was going to be the last chapter, which had me redoing this chapter as well. So, because it is the last chapter and because I feel bad for the delay, this will be a longer chapter than usual.

The next morning, the light coming from the still partially open curtains, slowly woke Amami up. For the first in a long time she had slept for more than six hours and it could be felt immediately. It wasn't only the light that aroused her from her slumber, she could feel a certain warmth on her cheek. The moment her eyes were focused enough she noticed equally sleepy eyes gazing back at her.

It dawned upon them that they had shared the bed for the night, doing something they hadn't done in many years. One of the few differences was that Kotarou had been there all along as well. He meanwhile had already woken up but showed no interest in waking both his aunt nor Kagami, rather opting to play with Kaga-chan at the foot of the bed instead.

Amami's hand instinctively moved up to place it over the hand on her cheek. They were both still in a sleepy daze to fully realize what they were doing, but they seemed to be enjoying the small touches nevertheless. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, relishing the loving caress of his hand before she leaned into it to place a small kiss of appreciation on his palm.

At that touch they both stiffened slightly, now fully realizing what they were doing. Their eyes snapped to attention, as they each gauged the other's reaction. Both a little unsure and suddenly a little nervous, questioning their current behavior.

Amami was scared. She knew of her feelings towards the man hadn't changed, no matter how many times she told herself differently. She even blurted out some sort of confession towards the man recently, when she had fallen apart in front of him. She knew very well how she felt.. and had no clue what the person who was staring back at her was feeling.

Would he be upset? He had every right to be, no? It was Amami after all who broke up with him, it was she who didn't follow him to America when he had the chance to fulfill his dream. She was being selfish to even think of wanting something more between the two of them again.

The more she was thinking about it, the more scared she became at the thought of Kagami blatantly rejecting her feelings. But somehow she couldn't let go of his hand. She had wanted this for so long and now that it was suddenly happening to her, she didn't have the strength to let go, knowing full well how much this could end up hurting her.

As if to show what she was thinking she slightly clenched his hand tighter with her own, her expression showing clear fear but also a hint of pleading. Almost begging the man not to let go, even though she knew it was selfish of her.

Seconds felt like minutes when he still hadn't made a move of his own. Amami could only feel the dread inside of her building up so much that she closed her eyes and relented her grip on his hand. This was it, this was the moment after so many years of pining after the man, that he would give her a resolute no, destroying whatever hope secretly had been growing ever since he came back from America.

She gasped a little as the hurt was slowly replacing that very hope until she felt soft lips brush against her own. She opened her eyes in pure shock, registering the man had inched closer and was indeed kissing her gently. His fiery red eyes full of love before they slowly slid shut, focusing more on their kiss.

The rush of all these different emotions swirling inside of her caused her heart to hammer violently. It all became a little too much making her hands shake a little at the sudden turn of events. It was now Kagami's time to take her hands in his own, trying to calm the nerves that were running through the woman's body with an assuring squeeze.

Amami opened her eyes slowly when Kagami broke the kiss. Emerald eyes immediately searching for ruby ones, needing to see for herself that this was real and not like some awful joke of a dream she's had before.

Kagami wordlessly shuffled a little closer and pulled her hand towards his lips to place a tentative kiss on her knuckles while he kept looking at her.

It's then that Amami saw Kagami's own feelings in his eyes. A soft crinkle at the corners of his eyes combined with his eyebrows softly knitting together. It was his way of showing how much he had wanted this as well, but scared that the woman might still stop whatever it was that they were doing.

Words weren't needed when they remained like this. Letting the soft caresses and kisses speak for themselves, showing the other how much they really had missed each other and the love they still harbored for the other.

It's when they both slowly came down from their rush of emotions that they noticed a set of big brown orbs blatantly staring at them. Unblinking eyes gazed owlishly towards them when the two moved away from each other in an instant, not wanting to upset the toddler.

“Ko-chan! G-Good morning sweetie.. have you slept well?” Amami stammered, not sure on how to explain what had just been happening, towards her nephew.

Kagami simply sat up, avoiding the gaze of the toddler burning on him awkwardly. He really hoped the boy wouldn't be angry with him.

The boy blinked a few times before a large grin was plastered on his face. “Mhm, I had a nice dream of us playing, it was really fun!” He said before clambering his way between the two adults, getting snug in the small gap.

“That's good to hear Ko-chan..” Amami smiled at the boy before lifting her gaze towards Kagami with the same gentle smile. “Let's go have breakfast, you must be hungry.”

And with that the awkward moment was broken. Kotarou seemed not to be taken aback by the scene he had seen that morning, quite the opposite as a matter of fact. He started to cling more unto Kagami, if that even was possible, who in return had seen these actions as a way of acceptance. The man had offered to make breakfast for the two Amami's, since they took care of him, he wanted to do _something_ in return and Amami had let him. 

After breakfast she told Kagami she would have to go to the store for groceries, since they ran out of food. She asked him to take care of her nephew while she was out so it would be quicker for her, this would give her a small breather to let the events from the weekend sink in.

“What's that, Bunny-chan?” The boy curiously asked the man while climbing on the chair next to him.

“Eh.. this is glue.” Kagami helped the boy climb unto the chair so he would have a better view on what he was doing. He noticed the confused stare the boy was giving and felt like he needed to elaborate a little more on the small tube he was holding. “It's something sticky. People use it to fix things.”

Kotarou thoughtfully inspected the small tube in Kagami's hand before he looked back at Kagami with big eyes. “Are you going to fix that?”

Kagami looked at the object in his hand with a fond smile before giving the boy a warm smile in return. “Yeah, it's been broken for a while..” He finished applying the glue, chuckling when the boy was enthralled with what he was doing. “There, now it has to dry for a while. We can't touch it meanwhile, so let's just let it sit over here and wait 'till it's dried.”

Kotarou watched Kagami place the object on the table with big round eyes. “How long do we have to wait, Bunny-chan?” A small whine bubbling up in his voice.

“The package said it takes two hours.” He answered, immediately faced with a pout on the boy's face. “Hey now, what's with the face?” 

“I want to play with it now..” The boy's pout deepened as he looked upon the object on the table with a forlorn look.

Kagami couldn't help but laugh at the boy's behavior. He quickly ruffled the ginger locks and stood up with a brimming smile. It was funny to Kagami that Kotarou got so excited over it while it wasn't his intention to. He didn't do it for the boy, but he couldn't help but smile, knowing the Amami's would like it even more when the glue has set in. “How about we go play a little while we wait huh? Your auntie will be home soon too, so those two hours will fly by--”

“Let's make a pillow fort!” The boy perked up instantly, jumping off the chair as he was already making his way towards the couch and throwing pillows around.

**************

“I'm home!” Amami called out, toeing off her shoes in the hallway before raising her eyebrow at the lack of response. Shrugging she dragged the bags of groceries inside, slightly wondering what the two were up to. “Boys..?” She called out when she stepped in her living room, immediately being greeted by a large looking lump of pillows and blankets in the middle of the room.

Muffled giggles and snorts were heard from somewhere under the large amount of pillows, making the woman stifle her own while silently making her way inside.

Inside the woman was faced with the most adorable scene in front of her. Both Kagami and Kotarou were huddled together in their pillow fort and enthusiastically playing with toys. They were both so engrossed that they didn't even realize Amami was there with them until she giggled.

“Eh..?” Kagami instantly noticed the woman, feeling the blush on his cheeks creep up when he was busted playing with toys. 

“The fort is under attack!!” Kotarou yelled out, immediately grabbing one of his toys to defend the fort from the invader.

Amami didn't miss a beat and immediately jumped into the role of the villain trespassing their fort, letting out a roar. “Do you think you have what it takes to protect your castle?! I, the great dragon of the North, have destroyed thousands of castles in my wake. What is a..” She quickly glanced at the toy in Kotarou's hand. “.. T-Rex going to do about it? Bwahaha!”

“It's a dinosaur, auntie!” The boy quickly corrected before going in for the attack. “I will bite the evil dragon!” He roared before letting his dinosaur jump towards his aunt.

Amami let out another sinister laugh, unfazed by the attack. “Your tiny teeth merely tickle my scales, puny T-Re-- dinosaur! You'll have to do better than that. Take this!” She lunged towards the boy's stomach and tickled him.

Shrieks and squeals were quickly filling the living room when the boy was under attack by a flurry of tummy-tickles. “N-No.. aaa..”

“You will make a nice trophy in my cave, dino--” The dragon roared in victory, having the dinosaur at her mercy. The very foundation of the castle was starting to crumble as the fight continued.

“Not so fast! I'm still here.. too!”

Amami didn't even have a second to register the impending attack from the enemy. She was instantly being pushed off the boy, finding a greater foe hovering now above her. Red eyes brimming with fire dangerously close.

“Defeat the dragon, Bunny-chan!” Kotarou yelled while holding one of his aunt's hands down to the ground to help his teammate.

Being spurred by the encouraging cheers, Kagami grinned in mischief before tickling the woman underneath him while pinning her to the ground.

This had the dragon trashing in agony, as her foes were too overwhelming, even for her. “N-No.. sto.. stop!” She cried out in fits of laughter and screams, making the castle collapse on all of them.

The three of them were laughing and giggling as they slowly pushed away the pillows and blankets off of them.

“Yes, we beat the evil dragon, Bunny-chan!” Kotarou cheered, climbing over the pillows to approach the man.

Kagami ruffled the boy's hair and smirked, giving Amami a sidelong smirk. “We sure did, Kotarou!” Completely ignoring that their castle, cave, fort,.. whatever, was completely ruined.

“I'll admit defeat, but you guys _will_ clean this up.” Amami gave the two a shit-eating grin, pointing at the chaos that was supposed to be her living room. This earned her instant groans and muttering from the two and she couldn't help but laugh, albeit a little evil, at their expense.

The men did start to clean up the mess however. 

Amami meanwhile returned to her grocery bags, set on stowing everything away. It's when she passed the table that she noticed Kaga-chan standing there. She was about to open her mouth with a complaint that this wasn't a toy for them to play with, until she noticed the once lost piece of pie glued back in place. “What.. Kaga.. how?” She carefully grabbed the sumo wrestler, staring at the pie in awe. Various emotions rushing through her at the sight.

“I fixed it.” Kagami had quietly snuck upon the woman, now standing behind her. “It's still drying, so you'll have to be careful.” He let his own finger brush faintly against the bobble head, stopping when his finger landed on the hand still holding the toy. “..It's not perfect, but..” He gestured at the few cracks and missing splinters.

“It is.” Amami immediately interrupted him, turning around on her heels to face Kagami. “It _is_ perfect.” She earnestly smiled at the man, her eyes became slightly moist, a little overcome with the happiness surging through her. “I though I had lost it for good.. I searched so hard for it but never found it. How..?” She looked mystified, not sure how the pie ended up in Kagami's possession, seeing she broke the toy back at her previous home ages ago.

“Midorima gave it to me, right before we.. broke up.” Kagami frowned a little at the memories, one of the darkest days of his life. “I kept it ever since. I was surprised you still had Kaga-chan though. I thought you had thrown it away until Kotarou placed it in my hands a while ago. So I thought.. fixing it would be nice. I mean, the pie does belong to Kaga-chan after all..” He ruffled his hair sheepishly, knowing what he just said must've sounded so corny.

“Midorima..” Amami huffed out amused. “Such a silent meddler.” She glanced between the toy and Kagami standing in front of her. “Kaga-chan, no.., _I_ am happy it's back again.” She went to stand on her toes and slowly pulled Kagami's shirt down so she could place a tentative kiss on his lips. “Thank you.” She whispered when their lips separated.

Kagami immediately deepened the kiss by holding her closer. The need to have her close seeping through every pore of him. He tightened his grip in his hug, fearing that if he would relent for only a second, she would be gone again. He knew that this was only the start of their second chance, it was still so fragile at this moment. It could just as easily blow up once more, breaking both of their hearts again. But he was sure he would fight for it this time and had an inkling she felt the same.

She slowly broke the kiss again and smiled that bright smile of hers when she looked up. “I missed you so much.., I'm so scared that this isn't real. I would wake up any moment in an empty bed.. it's always so cold..” She almost whimpered the last bits, reminding herself of how empty it really had been for those years. Before she could continue to sink further into those thoughts she felt a small sting on her arm. “Ouch..! What..?”

“Making sure you're not asleep.” Kagami looked with a loving gaze. Removing his fingers from her arm. The man simply had pinched her arm, showing her that this wasn't a dream, that he was here to stay if she would let him.

And just like that, they spent the rest of their weekend together with the three of them. All happy with the time they spent together.

**************

Familiar sounds of a leather ball slapping against concrete filled Amami's ears, which was in itself already a miracle considering there were plenty of children's voices laughing and screaming, easily overpowering that old sound she associated with Kagami. It had been a week ago since the two of them became a couple again.

She looked over the court with a focused gaze, keeping track of all the children that were running around, playing with the ball. In the middle of the group of children stood Kagami with a big grin, laughing away at the children's antics. Amami took a deep breath and cherished the moment. “I'm happy you could come.. Kuroko-kun. I don't think I could've handled this by myself.” She smiled as she looked at the man sitting next to her on the bench.

Kuroko looked at her with his own smile before glancing back at the children in front of him. “I don't mind helping, Amami-kun, especially if it's for Kotarou-chan's birthday.” He softly chuckled as he witnessed his best friend almost tripping over one of the children circling him. “Seeing Kagami-kun so carefree with the children is quite refreshing and amusing.”

Amami noticed the faint twinkle in those large blue eyes of the man. Not being able to help but think the same. Who knew that once the children would stop crying over the intimidating man, Kagami would open up and actually be great with them. Well to play with at least. He was still clueless on many other subjects when it came down to taking care of children, but playing ball and entertaining the little ones seemed to be not a problem anymore.

“Bunny-chan, Bunny-chan! I want to duuunk!!~” Kotarou begged, pulling at the man's jeans to get his attention.

In an instant Kotarou was being pulled up and placed on broad shoulders. A firm grip holding the child in place. “Alright, show me what you've learned, Kotarou!” He said, placing the ball in the kid's hands before making a careful dash towards the ring. “Here we go..! Now!” And at that moment he made a small jump, bringing Kotarou closer to the hoop, enabling him to throw it in at the right time. The swish of the net was immediately met with cheers and an applaud from the two grown ups sitting on the bench.

“Did you see that auntie?! I dunked the ball!” Kotarou beamed proudly, pointing his small finger at the net while looking at Amami on the bench.

“That was amazing Ko-chan! Did Bunny-chan teach you that? You should thank him!” She called out, her heart squeezing with happiness as she noticed how much fun he was having on his birthday. In all honesty she feared this day. It was his first birthday without his parents and she thought that he would be sad that they couldn't be there, but so far everything seemed to be going fine. He'd been laughing and playing with his friends and Kagami the entire day without showing any pout whatsoever, for which she was glad.

“Thank you, Bunny-chan! You're the best teacher ever!” Kotarou exclaimed, having a painful grasp on his red locks.

Amami noticed Kuroko flinch at that moment, glancing at him. The man was just staring with big eyes before a 'loud' chuckle came tumbling from his lips.

“Kagami-kun should perhaps become a teacher too then.”

“Eh? What are you on about, Kuroko?” Kagami scoffed a little, bewildered at his friend's statement.

“Kagami-kun has been teaching the whole day now and they seem to like it too. It wouldn't be so far-fetched as you may think..” A secret smile found his way on Kuroko's lips.

Amami glanced between the two of them, letting that piece of information slowly sink in. 'The man actually has a point..'

“Hah, as if I have anything to teach kids.. I'm only good at basketball, remember?” Kagami started, laughing at the mere thought of him standing in a classroom in front of children.

“..Why not? I mean, you can teach them basketball, no?” Amami said, getting more and more into the idea of her boyfriend teaching children how to play basketball. That way he is still somewhat active with the sport he loves. “I'm sure there's a place where they would love to hire you, considering your background.”

“Heh..” Was the only thing Kagami mustered, seeming to mull over the idea.

**************

The day had slowly passed, the birthday a huge success. After they played to their heart's content in the park, they went to Amami's home to eat cake. Kotarou received plenty of gifts from everyone, even from his teacher and Kagami. Kotarou had thoroughly enjoyed his day, spending it with his friends and family in the evening that it was to no surprise that the boy was exhausted. Not long after his grandparents had left, Amami had immediately taken action to give her nephew a bath and a bed-time story.

“Auntie?” Kotarou asked with a small voice while he pulled his blanket a little closer to his chin.

“Yes, sweetie?” She answered with a soft voice, smiling as she placed the book Kuroko had given him earlier today next to his other books.

“...” He remained quiet for a while, his brows furrowing a little. 

Amami noticed the sullen mood and felt her heart clench. 'This is it.' She thought, already having an inkling to what was going on in the boy's mind. It surprised her more that Kotarou hadn't said anything about his parents earlier. 

“I wish mommy and daddy were here today..” He began, his small hands tightly gripping the blanket. Even when his voice seemed to be cracking up and his bottom lip started to tremble he managed to look up at his aunt. “..But I'm happy I still have auntie and Bunny-chan. Oh! And Kuroko-sensei and my uncles..” A fragile smile worked his way on his face before he yawned.

And just as Amami had been dreading this moment the entire day through, the boy surprised her with the sudden declaration. Her own heart clenched a little further, but this time it wasn't only sadness that was causing it. “I wish they were here today too, Ko-chan. Everyone loves you and we're all very happy to have you as well. Your mommy and daddy would be so proud of you, just as I am.” She gave the boy her own small smile before she hugged him tightly, placing a kiss on top of his ginger locks. “I'll always be there for you, for as long as I can.” She whispered, trying to keep her own emotions at bay.

“Is Bunny-chan going to stay too? Because I love him too!” His voice picked up a more happier note, big brown eyes looking with hope into gentle emerald ones.

The question caught her off guard, resulting in the woman to stumble with her words. “Erh.. Bunny-chan? I don't know..” She looked a bit sheepishly towards her nephew, honestly not sure on how to respond to him. Sure, she had hoped that Kagami would stay too, but she knew all too well things weren't as simple as that. They still had to work on their renewed relationship, so it was too early to make big plans really. “That'll be up to Bunn--”

“I'll be here for as long as your auntie wants to, Kotarou.” Kagami spoke up from the doorway, standing a little awkward at the turn of events. “I mean.. if you'll both have me. I'd like to..” He scratched his cheek, feeling a bit guilty for having eavesdropped on their conversation. His eyes darted from the boy towards Amami who simply sat on the edge of the bed, dumbfounded.

“Really?! Will you be living with us then? Just like mommy and daddy?” The boy perked up, almost jumping from underneath his blanket at the sheer thought of Kagami moving in.

“Ko-chan! Y-You can't ask something like that!” Mortified as she was at the little one's exuberance, she did feel happy to hear Kagami say such a thing. She took a deep breath to steady herself. “Let's talk about this tomorrow, alright? You should be sleeping already, mister.” She gently started to arrange the blanket, tucking the boy in once more.

The boy yawned sleepily with the same small smile on his face. “Good night auntie.. Bunny-chan..”

After wishing the birthday boy a good night's rest, both Amami and Kagami found their way into her living room.

“I didn't mean to eavesdrop.. nor interrupt. I just thought that you could use some help there..?” Kagami spoke, unsure about his previous actions.

“No, it's fine. Sure I kind of expected him to say _something_ about his parents sooner or later, he just took me by surprise nonetheless.” She huffed.

Kagami moved closer and wrapped his arms around Amami, sensing there was still some unease. “You did great today, Seo.” He placed a kiss on top of her head, feeling her arms snugly embrace his midriff.

Amami chuckled into his chest. “Couldn't have done it without you guys.”

Kagami moved his hand under her chin, lifting it so he could look into her eyes. He saw that small sincere smile of hers that always left him with a warm feeling himself. “Don't have to..” He said as he scooped her off the ground, already walking towards the couch. 

Amami yelped in surprise at the sudden movement, not able to suppress her giggles. It's when he settled them both on the couch, Amami straddling his lap, that she placed a ginger kiss on his lips. “That's not nice of you, Kagami-san.” She teased but rested her head on his chest anyway, content with the comfort and affection it provided.

“You know.. I've been thinking.” Kagami started, his voice reverberating in her ear. “Remember when you guys talked about me teaching? I'm actually.. starting to warm up to that idea. I mean, I wouldn't want to work in a school or something but.. what if I could have my own gym. My own basketball court. I'd be able to teach people like that as well, no?”

“That would actually make perfect sense. I'm sure we'll be able to find a gym that you could rent..” Amami smiled at the thought, already trying to come up with ideas.

“ _My own_ gym.” He immediately corrected, but unshaken from his idea. “I've earned enough money in America, so I could buy my own place.. I just need a good opportunity then.” His smile didn't even waver for a moment, his eyes brimming with determination.

Amami lifted her head from his chest, her grin only widening at the idea. “I'll help.” She nodded, affected by the man's determination.

Kagami chuckled warmly. “I know you will.” Hugging the woman tighter to his chest as he kissed her lips tenderly.

**************

Laughter and murmurs accompanied with the always present basketball noises echoed through the large gym. Everyone had gathered for the grand opening of Kagami's very own indoor basketball court. It had been a hard five years, but Kagami managed to find an old gym hall that was being run by an elder couple. Since they weren't able to manage it anymore, they had quickly found a potential buyer in Kagami who was all too eager to get his hands on it. It had still taken him some time to get the place renovated, but thanks to his friends and family, he managed to get the place just how he wanted to in the end.

Now it was the grand opening, where everyone was invited to. Thanks to some advertisement on Kise's behalf, using his modeling success to help his old friend out, a lot of people seemed to be flocking through the gym's door. Murasakibara and Himuro both helped out by making lots of pastries and snacks. The giant didn't seem too aversed to help Kagami out, using a not so convincing excuse that the publicity would be good for his bakery instead.

Both Midorima and Takao offered to help Kagami out by helping the visitors out as they tried their hand on the game themselves, giving them advice and stories of their own experience to lure people into playing basketball too. Kuroko and Momoi decided to guide the little ones among the visitors on the smaller court, teaching them how to dribble and pass with the small ball.

Akashi and Amami had helped the man in their own way, advising him in the financial department and finding the location. Especially Amami had been managing everything from buying the building, managing the reconstruction works, up until organizing the opening event.

Amami had planned for Kagami to join Midorima and Takao into guiding the people into playing, but thanks to the arrival of Aomine, who had retired himself and returned to Japan a year ago, he was found battling a fierce one on one with his old rival. This in itself earned themselves lots of attention and awe from the visitors. Two retired NBA players playing against each other wasn't something you'd usually see. Even though it had been years and the fact that Kagami's shoulder sadly never fully recovered, they both were giving it their all, oblivious to their surroundings like old time.

Even Amami's parents decided to show up, helping out with giving people flyers and pamphlets. It had taken a little for her father to warm up towards Kagami again, but Kagami had made a serious case by showing her parents how much he loved Amami and their grandson. It was not so surprising that Kagami dropped down to one knee only a half year after they got back together again, proposing to Amami in the most romantic way he could imagine: the place on the beach where they shared their first kiss together more than a decade ago.

Amami was simply standing amidst the chaos, taking in the sight of everyone helping out. Softly thumbing her wedding band around her finger as she kept a close eye on everyone. She took a deep breath and sighed with pure content. The last few years had been so overwhelming but great that it easily overshadowed the darker years prior to Kagami's return. She would of course never forget, but she had found peace with her past at last, something her husband had helped her out with.

“Mommy, mommy! Look!” An all too familiar voice chirped out, making Amami immediately zero in on the similar emerald hued eyes not so far away. 

Amami immediately went to her daughter who was displaying her abilities with the small ball, passing it to a slightly older boy with navy colored hair. “That's great, Yona-chan! Be careful not to hurt yourself or Hiroki-chan, alright?”

“She won't hurt me! I'm as strong as daddy is!” The boy grinned, showing a missing tooth among his teeth.

“Damn right you are, have you been showing her how to play better than her father?” Aomine jumped into the conversation, not missing the chance to annoy his rival further after his own victory in their one on one. He picked up his son, like he knew the boy loved it, by his ankles, letting him dangle above the ground.

“ _Daiki, I'm not telling you again to watch your language! And don't hold Hiroki like that or I'll make you regret it!_ ” A harsh yell sounded from the other side of the gym. The words English so only Aomine and Kagami could understand. The clear threat helped Aomine immediately obey his American wife, putting his son back down on his feet.

Kagami who stood behind Aomine the entire time barked out a booming laughter. The scared look on Aomine's face so priceless that he forgot he just lost his one on one with him. “I see she's still as scary as ever..” Kagami did his best to keep his voice down, glancing at the blonde from across the court.

“You.. don't make her hear you say that..” Aomine hissed back, voice slightly filled with fear at whatever his wife would do if she heard them.

The two men chuckled as they both waved innocently towards the woman, earning themselves another glare.

Amami, albeit amused by the fact that two grown men were actually scared of the woman, kept an eye on her daughter. Before she could reassure her daughter that she was doing just fine and that her father has been doing a great job so far in teaching her, Hiroki was already softly patting the dark red locks of the girl in front of him.

“That was a great pass, Yona-chan! Let's play some more.” The boy grinned at Yona, already dragging the girl away from the grown ups. 

Yona lit up at the compliment and a familiar look crossed her face. She immediately followed Aomine's son to play together.

“Now _that's_ an expression I know!” Takao's voice, right next to Amami's ear, interrupted her musings.

“Eh? What do you mean--” Amami asked, confused at the statement.

“Just sayin' she has the same look in her eyes as her mother had when she was sixteen and smitten with a certain someone~...” The man teased, leaning unto Amami's shoulder as he always did. 

Before the idea could fully register in anyone's mind, Kagami was already glancing furiously between Takao, Amami and his own daughter who was now very eagerly playing with his rival's son. “Don't you dare say it..” The redhead glared at Takao, not amused by the idea whatsoever.

This made both Takao and Aomine burst into laughter, Kagami's quickly growing anger too funny for them.

“Hmm, Oha Asa did say their signs would be a perfect match today, nanodayo.” Midorima chimed in, not too bothered with hiding his own teasing smirk.

“Shut up! All of you! Yona, stop playing with that boy!” He roared, already set to pull his daughter away from the boy.

“Taiga, don't be like that~. She's only three years, she just likes him as a friend.” Amami managed to pull her husband back in time before he could actually reach the children. She knew the others were just teasing Kagami, though she wouldn't deny that indeed that look was quite familiar.

“Think of the basketball prodigy they both could make, Kagami-kun. You should be happy, their combined light would surely be phenomenal.” Kuroko noted, surprising everyone with his presence like old times. A mischievous gleam twinkled in his eyes as he noticed how his remark undid the small attempt of Amami calming Kagami down resulting him to roar in anger.

“Are you trying to say my kid ain't good enough for you, Bakagami? You should be happy to have my kid as son in law, it would put some much needed skill in your bloodline.” Aomine wrapped his arm around Kagami's neck, annoying the man further by poking his cheek with his finger.

“Oh, I didn't know Aomine-kun wouldn't mind becoming family with Kagami-kun.” This time Kuroko couldn't help but smile as his old light's giddiness faltered into dismay. 

“Alright guys, enough already. Don't you all have a job to do?” Amami destroyed Aomine's chance to continue the bickering. She was sure that it wasn't such a great idea to continue this silly banter on their grand opening.

This caused the group of men to wordlessly walk back to their stations. Both Kagami and Aomine sending each other death glares.

Amami sighed, rolling her eyes when she noticed that both of them couldn't resist harping on the other which quickly resulted into another one on one. She was right not to appoint herself with any specific task today, it was clear that this day was in dire need of her supervision.

“Auntie! Me and Hiyori are done with our homework, can we go play now?” The nine year old boy came running through the hall with Hiyori in tow.

Amami smiled at her nephew and Kuroko's daughter, happy they got along so well with each other. “That was fast, Ko-chan. If you think you guys have finished everything, you can go play. There are snacks and drinks over there, if you're hungry.” She pointed towards the table against the wall where the old Yosen players were doing their best to cater to everyone.

“Uncle Akashi helped us out a lot, he's really smart!” Hiyori spoke softly with a kind smile.

“He's much better at explaining math than Bunny too.” Kotarou said in return, his gaze already inspecting the content of the snack-table.

Amami's eyes widened slightly before looking around her. “You're on your own if Bunny hears that, Ko-chan!”

Kotarou simply laughed the empty threat away while Hiyori's face fell a little. Her fear of the angry looking redhead has never fully disappeared, but she stopped crying when she saw him.

“I'll take Bunny on!” Kotarou slapped his fist into his palm, sporting a challenging look.

A large hand ruffled the boy's ginger locks perhaps a little roughly, making Hiyori slightly pale when she noticed whose hand it was. “Are you challenging me behind my back, Kotarou?” Kagami grinned when he looked down into those large brown eyes.

“You bet!” A cheeky smile could only register for a small moment before the boy was being swung over Kagami's shoulder. The yelp making the redhead bark out a laugh.

“You're on.. but first food.” He carried Kotarou towards the snack-table where Himuro was helping both Hiroki and Yona with their plates. Himuro could only smile fondly when both the toddlers kept asking for seconds.

It seemed they inherited their father's appetite.

Amami and Hiyori both walked towards the table, set on getting something to eat themselves. A snack table under attack by four children and a hungry Kagami simply screamed for backup.

The day was very successful. A lot of people visited and while not everyone signed up, there were quite a crowd who actually seemed to be eager to start their training. Kagami was going to be very busy teaching people of all ages to play basketball from now on.

It's when the day was running to its end that the gym was finally empty once more. Kagami and Amami thanked everyone for helping out, truly happy for having such great friends and family. The young family stood in the middle of the court, which now resembled more of a garbage dump than an actual sports court thanks to the opening today. They decided to leave the cleaning for the next day, opting to have some fun by themselves by playing around instead.

It's been a long and crazy ride for both Amami and Kagami. Fate putting both of them in each other's life ever since they started high school. Now more than a decade later, they were back together and even though they had their share of misfortune and problems, they managed to overcome them together. And that's what they plan on doing for the rest of their lives as a couple with the two children they love. They knew that they could take on anything life was going to throw at them, if they stood together. And so they shared a full and happy life with their family and friends.

The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And.. that's all she wrote I guess. I feel a bit overwhelmed with the fact that I finally managed to finish this story, which had started from a simple question 'What girl would fit Kagami?' ,to my brain adding more and more content as I continued to think about it. Now almost a year later and I finally managed to complete it! This will always be my baby since it was my first real fanfiction I wrote, aiming to improve my writing.  
> I'd like to thank my husband for helping me a lot with proofreading, giving advice and motivating me to continue when I felt like stopping. I also thank every single person who left a comment, kudos, like or favorite on both AO3 and ff.net. They made me really happy that someone enjoyed reading it.  
> From now on (as some might have noticed from the other fics I wrote meanwhile) I'll be focusing on my favorite ship in this fandom; KagaAo, AoKaga, which I've been enjoying to write as well.  
> Thank you for reading His warmth, I'll see you guys later. o/


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